Shadow
by CursedRedRose
Summary: At 18, Adrien is falling apart. Pining after Ladybug and ignored by his cold father, he is only kept from the edge by Plagg, his only friend. It is the day when he discovers a dark secret that he finally breaks- and Paris finds a new evil prowling the streets. As he and Marinette face demons, can there be any hope for them? A Chat Blanc story with a twist. Collab with Yamina20
1. Chapter 1

_Hello and welcome to my first collab! This story idea was given to me by Yamina20 and really it was so good, I couldn't not write it. She comes up with the ideas and she also did the amazing artwork for this story that you really should look at, it is so cool *fangirls at it*_

 _Anyway important note; this story takes place when they are older but in a world where Adrien didn't ever go to public school. Please enjoy the story and leave a review!_

It had been another extremely long day for Adrien Agreste. His father had somehow managed to squeeze three different photoshoots for three different fashion lines in the same day and the constant changing, make-up, hair styling and posing made his body feel like a stretched out spring that had been pulled so far it couldn't return to its original shape. He was so tired his arms felt like lead as he lifted them to press against his back, which was sore from lounging on the most rock hard chair he had ever been forced to sit on, and he had to practically head butt his bedroom door to push it open. He groaned as he flopped hard onto his bed, causing the front of his shirt to wriggle in protest as a little black creature that resembled a cat flew out of his front pocket.

"Do you mind?!" Plagg snapped at his chosen, the golden-haired young man turning his head to the side to stare up at him with a single green eye. "You could have squished me there! I don't want to be turned into a pancake, thanks very much!"

"Sorry Plagg." Adrien whimpered, making Plagg's anger evaporate as he stared down at him. He now regretted snapping at him as his eyes filled with tears and he flew down to sit next to his head.

"Hey kid, it's OK, it's nothing to cry about," He tried to soothe him by patting his forehead but the tears kept falling, running into the lines of his almost perfect face like rivers as he cried. "Did something else happen today?"

"My father was there," Adrien sobbed out, choking on the word father like it was poison. "I saw him standing there in the corner when I was modelling. I kept looking over at him, hoping he would see me, but he didn't even look Plagg. It was like I wasn't even there, like I was nothing to him."

Adrien's eyes squeezed closed as more sobs shook his body and Plagg gave a little sigh. It was a well-known fact to him that the black cat Miraculous was drawn to troubled people. His kittens were nearly always people who were forced to suffer through means beyond their control and Adrien Agreste was looking to be the most troubled kitten of them all.

Though Plagg didn't often show it, he was worried about Adrien. The kid had been in a bad place when they had met three years ago in this same room when Adrien had discovered a funny-shaped box and opened it to free him. He had been fighting with his father over his want to go to a public school; Adrien had desperately wanted to go and make friends and be a regular kid but Gabriel Agreste had crushed that dream with all the emotions of an ice statue. This had left Adrien leading a very sheltered existence. He had only ever left the huge mansion he shared with his father for modelling jobs and when he was being tutored in various things, he stayed in his room like a hermit, surrounded by things most kids would dream of having but dreaming of just being outside. Adrien had told him all this when he had first slipped the silver ring onto his finger and Plagg had almost been stunned into silence by it. He had been glad he had been able to provide two bright spots in the boy's life; one being the chance of freedom and anonymity as Chat Noir and the other was the opportunity to meet his partner Ladybug.

"That sucks kid." Plagg murmured. Even though Adrien had finished all his tutoring and was working as a full time model and was a legal adult now, Plagg still couldn't kick the habit of calling him kid. In many ways, he still was a kid as he had all the naivety of one. "That really sucks. Maybe you should talk it out with Ladybug later, that could help."

Adrien opened his eyes again, already calmer just from the mention of her name. Aside from Plagg, who was more of a parent or a nuisance really, Ladybug was his only real friend and the only person in the whole of Paris he felt like he could confide in. He couldn't talk to any of the people around him; Nathalie was always too busy and she could be just as cold as his father and his bodyguards would only grunt in response or just ignore him to focus on his protection.

Ladybug was the only person who had ever reached out to him; he remembered how on their first meeting, he had been so shy and awkward, fumbling his words and dropping his baton as he had no idea how to talk with anyone, let alone a girl. He had almost died of embarrassment several times throughout the whole thing but she had been so nice about it, helping him up when he fell and encouraging him whilst they had fought their first akuma. She had giggled at his stuttering words and helped him to calm down, taking his hand and making him stare into the depths of her deep blue eyes until his breathing became even and he could actually form a sentence.

Since then, she had become his confidant in all things as on patrol, letting him talk and talk away as they went around the city looking for any signs of danger. Without spilling too many details of his life, knowing how important keeping their identities secret was to her, he told her about his problems with his father and she would listen, always giving him a gentle ear and a shoulder if he ever needed something to lean on. She would also offer tender words of advice, stuff like "Can't your mum help you? I'm sure if you talked to her, it could be resolved…" or "Why don't you tell this to other family? They wouldn't want to see you miserable…" Adrien always had to swallow a lump in his throat at that point; he had never told her he didn't know any other members of his family, he wasn't even sure many existed, and he couldn't tell his mother because she had disappeared from his life the year before he had become Chat Noir. He didn't know what had happened to her, his father had only cryptically told him she had 'left.' All he knew was, she had gone so quickly and she had taken a large chunk of him with her, one he still wasn't sure had returned.

Adrien sniffed and sat up a little, looking down at Plagg with a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Do you think so?" He asked, his watery eyes shining like dew on mountain grass as he thought of her. "Would she still listen?"

Plagg shook his head in exasperation. This kitten of his was really the most insecure man he had ever met; his father had left him with such a fear of displeasing people, he was always terrified he was a burden to others and Plagg was the one who bore most of his anxieties. "Of course, she'll want to listen," He said, flying back up to the level of his face. "She's your partner, she'll understand."

"Yes, yes I'm sure she will. She's amazing like that." Adrien gave the first real smile of the whole day as he thought about Ladybug. He had every part of her memorised; the way her freckles peeped out from just underneath her mask, how her body swayed like bamboo when she walked away from an akuma in triumph, how she would groan a little in exasperation when he made a pun to try and make her giggle. He knew the feel of her fingers on his shoulder, her soft scent like cinnamon and baked bread, the movement of her hair as it swung in two pigtails. He loved the way her laugh could rejuvenate him and make him feel like new and he loved how her blue eyes, eyes that contained every blue under the sun, could calm him and take his breath away. He gave a happy little sigh almost like the purr of a kitten and Plagg felt another jolt of worry go through his stomach. Adrien's devotion to Ladybug was clear for everyone to see, everyone except the girl herself, who seemed almost oblivious to it. Ladybug was Adrien's only real friend but he had wanted more than friendship for a long time and that scared his kwami. He knew many Chat Noir's who had fallen for their Ladybug's but never one who had fallen quite like this. His stomach rumbled again and he realised it was crying out for cheese.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, she's amazing," He said, whizzing around in the air to get his attention. "But can you stop mooning over her for five minutes so you can get me some cheese? I'm dying of starvation here!"

Adrien seemed to come out of his trance and he laughed at the irate kwami. "OK, OK Plagg, calm down, I'm getting some." He chuckled as he heaved his body from the bed and went to his fridge to get some Camembert out and put it on a plate. "You know, I think all the staff think I have a strange cheese obsession because of you."

"Not likely." Plagg answered as he munched his way through the wedge of cheese that was almost twice his body size. "If you got a cheese obsession, I'd have to share and I'm not doing that."

Adrien laughed again and Plagg had to give a smile. This was how he liked seeing his charge, smiling and laughing and carefree. It was a sight that was becoming less and less frequent as time went on and that was worrying in itself. Plagg continued to eat his cheese and tried to push the thought away. He wouldn't think of that, he thought. Worrying won't help matters one jot, he knew that. But in the case of this one particular kitten, he just couldn't help it. Maybe all he needs is some rest, he wondered hopefully, as he watched Adrien fall back onto the bed again, eyes already lidded as he settled in for some well-needed sleep. He finished his cheese quickly and, like a real cat, curled up to sleep in his mop of blond hair.

"Goodnight Adrien." The kwami muttered as his eyes started to close of their own accord. "Sweet dreams." That's the only place he'll ever get anything sweet, was his last bitter thought before he became too tired to think and sleep overtook both of them.

OOO

Unfortunately for Plagg, it seemed like Hawkmoth had other ideas for how they should spend their evening. The two were woken with a jump by the sound of distant screaming and Adrien quickly sprang up, launching a disgruntled Plagg across the room as he turned on his TV which was permanently switched to the local news station. The cameras were at the Arc De Triomphe and they were hooked on the akuma that was climbing up it, bellowing at the crowds of people that ran away screaming as it hurled what seemed to be large shards of sharp paper at the ground below.

"I am the Book Keeper!" The man yelled, his voice carrying over the screaming and echoing down the roads surrounding it. His skin was white and appeared to have millions of little black words scrawled all over it. His body was covered with what looked like a medieval suit of armour, only it was made of hefty books with hard leather covers and on his head was perched a black cap with a long quill pen sticking out of it that was gleaming blue. "And nobody shall take them away from me! Wanting to replace books, my books, with soulless technology… You are all heathens and you will all pay!"

"Where does Hawkmoth get these people?" Plagg grumbled as he stared at the strange sight on the TV but Adrien wasn't listening. His previously tired face had lit up into a grin as a red blur dived across the screen, spinning through the air before landing on the ground and breaking off into a run. The camera only got a brief still of her as she landed but it was still very clear who she was.

"Ladybug's already there!" Adrien cried out. "We have to get there now! Plagg, claws out!"

OOO

It took Chat Noir only a few minutes to reach the scene and when he got there, nothing had changed. The villain was still chucking large darts of paper around and was still raving on about his precious books and the evils of technology. Chat Noir rolled his eyes at the sight.

"Looks like somebody needs to shut this book up." He said, a small grin appearing on his face that was pleased with the pun. From behind him, he suddenly heard the twang of a yoyo string and his heart skipped a beat when he turned and saw Ladybug was standing there with her hands on her hips and a smirk playing across her face.

"Not bad kitty," She said in greeting. "What took you so long?"

"I had a long day," He said as a giant paper dart fell near them and they started to run towards the akuma. "I was trying to get some rest when I saw this on the news."

"Aw, were you having a cat nap?" She teased him but her smile went when she saw the look on his face as he thought of the day he had had. "Hey, did you have a bad day?"

He nodded. "I'll tell you about it later." He said quickly. "Right now we have this to deal with."

"Right." She gave him a quick grin as she used her yoyo to swoop up into the air, her movements graceful like those of an acrobat. He followed her using his baton, having to work harder at staying in the air but keeping his eyes focused on her. She could have been going through the gates of hell and he wouldn't have cared, he would have still followed her. He could see her brain was already formulating a plan, her tongue slightly poking from her mouth in concentration as she assessed the situation, and he patiently waited for her to speak.

"OK, here's what we'll do," She told him as they landed on the side of the Arc and carefully watched the akuma in case he spotted their position. "The akuma is in the feather on his hat, we need to grab that and get it away from him. I'll attack from this way," She gestured around the back of the Arc where the akuma was facing away from. "And you'll go around the other way. Look like you're going for one of the books in his armour, then he'll be distracted and protect the wrong place. Then I can grab the feather and purify it." She gave a satisfied grin as she looked at him. "Everything clear?"

"As crystal my Lady." He beamed up at her, his expression making it very clear he wanted to please her. It gave her an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach but she ignored it as she prepared to throw her yoyo.

"Let's go!" She gave a final cry as she flew through the air, her body swooping in one direction whilst he went in the other. He used his baton to vault himself in the direction of the Book Keeper and the villain caught sight of him almost instantly as he let out a taunting yell.

"Looks like somebody needs to be put back on the shelf!" He called over as the akuma shook with the force of his anger.

"How dare you mock me and my books!" He screamed, shaking a fist at him and throwing a giant paper dart at him. It was nearly the size of Chat Noir's entire body but he dodged it and carried on laughing, watching his Lady from the corner of his eye as she went to make her move.

"My my, your anger speaks volumes about you!" He joked as he got closer and closer to him. The villain's temples looked ready to pop with rage and Chat could see Ladybug approaching as she whipped through the air in silence. They had him now, he thought with another grin as he faked going in for an attack. This was going to be quick.

However, just before Chat Noir made to strike, the akuma suddenly leapt out of the way, flashing him a quick evil smile as he flipped around in mid-air. His eyes were focused on Ladybug as she came towards him and Chat Noir realised with a jolt of horror that they had horribly misjudged him.

"Time to squash this annoying bug!" The Book Keeper yelled as another paper dagger formed in his hand, this one almost twice the size of all the others. He hurled it with all his might at the superheroine and Chat Noir heard her scream when she realised they had made a fatal mistake. It was moving too fast for her to get out of the way and she fruitlessly covered her head with her arms as the giant paper bullet flew through the air at a lightning pace towards her.

"NOOO!" Without thinking, the sound left Chat Noir's lips as he flung himself in the air at it. It hit him square in the chest, the point sinking deep into the leather as the paper was dyed red with blood. From somewhere, he faintly heard Ladybug screaming his name and somebody cackling with laughter but it sounded distant as he stared down at the dripping wound that was oozing scarlet. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him and as he looked up, a pair of very angry yet concerned blue eyes were looking down at him.

"Chat!" Her voice cut through the blur the world had become and made him focus on her face. Her beautiful, tear-stained face… He tried to reach up a hand to brush the tears that were falling down her face but his limb felt too heavy and he let it hang in the air for a moment before it sagged back to the ground. He heard her call for her lucky charm and then felt something press against his wound which he realised when she made his hands push down on it was a red and black spotted towel. "You stupid cat, what were you thinking?"

"I had to…save you…" He whispered, his voice sounding strange to his ears. "Couldn't let… you…" He looked up and saw the akuma was approaching them, an origami paper sword in his hand and a grin on his face. He clearly thought he had won. "The akuma…"

"I'll finish him." Ladybug said, turning to face the villain darkly. "You stay there."

"But I…" His protests weren't heard as Ladybug whirred her yoyo around her head with a determined expression. It became a haze of black and red as she span it and charged into battle, using it to block and parry all of the akuma's thrusting attacks. Chat Noir watched the battle powerlessly, holding his hand up to his wound and trying to ignore the warm blood that spilled over his fingers as he tried to sit up. His baton bore his weight like a walking stick as he forced himself to his feet. He didn't care about the pain that was ripping through him. He just wanted to help her. He could see she was getting weaker, though she was powered by sheer fury, and the constant attacks were too much to hold off for long. He needed to do something, he thought as he racked his brain. Then he had an idea.

"Cataclysm!" He yelled at the top of his voice but his hands stayed by his side, no magic flowing to them. The Book Keeper turned around, expecting to see something being destroyed but nothing was there except for an injured and unsteady Chat Noir who was grinning at him. It took only a second for the villain to realise he had been duped but it was too late-Ladybug had already snatched the feather from his cap and snapped it effortlessly between her fingers. He howled and fell to his knees as the familiar black butterfly flew from the broken item and was instantly captured by Ladybug.

"Bye bye little butterfly!" She cried out almost hysterically as the now-white insect flew up to the sky and Chat Noir, knowing the drill by now, threw the bloody towel up into the air. The healing storm of ladybugs then went to work, transforming the akumatised villain back into a skinny young man in glasses and healing Chat's wound. He let out a sigh of relief as the burning pain was suddenly gone and Ladybug ran towards him.

"Chat! You're OK!" She cried out in relief as she hugged him tightly. At first he wasn't sure how to react, nobody had hugged him like this in what seemed like forever, and it took him a while to put his arms around her and squeeze her back in comfort.

"I'm fine." He said softly. "I'm just glad you're safe."

"I'm safe?!" She suddenly cried out, stepping back and looking up at him with eyes that told him she wasn't sure whether to punch him or hug him again. "What about you? Do you realise how dangerous that was?! I've told you before, I don't need to have you protecting me all the time! You're my partner, not my personal meat shield!"

"I'm sorry." He said, gently taking a step towards her. He was unsure about how to deal with this; when his father was angry at him, he was always so cold and calm, nothing like the explosion of emotions that was happening before his eyes. "I just can't see you hurt. I just…care about you too much."

The words he hadn't said, the three words that he had never said to anybody and choked in his throat before he could say them, hung in the air between them and they made her take a long look at him. The uneasy feeling in her gut came back ten times stronger as she saw the way he was staring at her; his green eyes, eyes like liquid emeralds, were filled to the brim with longing and that realisation made tears come to her own eyes. "Chat, this has to stop." She told him, her voice shaking a little with the tears but still sounding firm.

"Yes, I know I can't keep doing this but-"

"No Chat. This has to stop." She gestured between him and her as she looked up at him to show she meant it. "You have to stop looking at me like that. It just can't happen."

"What? Why?" He stared at her pleadingly but she held her ground, refusing to let any of her traitorous tears fall and make her look weak.

"Because we have a duty," She told him. "Because our job is dangerous and we have to keep ourselves professional. We can't value each other over the city, we can't afford to. And I can't have you always charging in to save me because of personal feelings!" The last sentence came out in a snap and Chat Noir felt like she had stabbed him in the gut. "I'm sorry Chat but that is the way it has to be. We knew what this entailed when we put on our miraculous. I'm sorry."

"Ladybug, wait-" He shouted after her desperately but she had already turned away. Her earrings gave a bleep and before he could say another word, she was gone, lost over the rooftops of Paris as she soared away. He stood there for a moment, his body feeling numb, until the flash of a camera spooked him from his daze. He hissed loudly at the cameras and reporters that suddenly descended on him, their questions about what had just happened sounding like the buzzing of flies in his ringing ears. He took off in a sprint and when he was far enough away from them, he turned and made his way back to the Agreste mansion, finally letting his tears fall as he felt his heart crumble to dust.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello again everyone! Thanks so much for all the nice reviews for the last chapter, they were all so lovely to read. Buckle yourselves in though, the angst isn't going away quite yet..._

Plagg hadn't been expecting this. When Adrien had detransformed back in the relative safety of his bedroom, he had been expecting him to take out his emotions on the world. He had expected him to throw things, break things, scream at the ceiling, do things anybody else who had been pushed that far would do. What he hadn't expected was silence. Since they had gotten back from the fight, Adrien hadn't said a word. Brushing Plagg away and ignoring him when he tried to speak to him, he had taken to his bed and buried himself there like it was a tomb and his duvet was a shroud. Plagg had tried to get him to open up, to say something, anything about what he was feeling but all Adrien had done was stare at the far wall, tears pouring down his face in a never-ending stream. After a long while, Plagg had needed to recharge and had taken some cheese from Adrien's fridge. Whilst he pensively munched on his sweet Camembert, he had turned the TV on in the hopes it would make Adrien get up but that proved to be a bad idea when the news suddenly came on with a quick-fire bulletin.

"In today's news, Ladybug and Chat Noir defeated yet another akuma today at the Arc De Triomphe, the third akuma attack this month. Experts are worried about the sudden spike in akuma activity and it appears the increase is having an effect on our two heroes as they were spotted arguing at the scene with both leaving in tears…"

"Experts? They have experts now? What do they know?" Plagg forcibly laughed as he hurriedly turned the volume on the TV down to an almost mute level. "Hey, do you reckon I could be an akuma expert? I bet those TV people would love to interview me!"

His attempts to lighten the mood fell flat as he heard the sound of sniffing coming from the bed as the duvet suddenly curled up even tighter. "Oh kid," Plagg sighed in sympathy as he flew over and sat on Adrien's pillow. "C'mon, talk to me here. I want to help but I can't if you don't talk to me."

"I-it h-hurts Plagg… it really hurts." He hoarsely whispered. The feeling was overwhelming and it felt like every part of him was numb from the pain. It felt like the wound on his chest had opened up again but it was much worse because it was Ladybug who had struck the blow. He wanted to scream, to release all the pain he had building up inside but he didn't know how. He was doing what he always did with his emotions, the same thing he had done since the day his mother had disappeared; he was bottling up all his feelings and dragging them somewhere deep within himself, somewhere he hoped they would never surface. This time was different though. This time he felt like a dam wall on the verge of collapse and he didn't know what would happen if he did and all his emotions gushed out. He dug his knees under his chin and looked up at Plagg through a sheen of tears.

"I know it hurts," The little black kwami said, his usually cynical voice a lot softer as he edged closer to Adrien's head and stroked his cheek like he really was a kitten. "Believe me, I do. Heartbreak is one of the worst kinds of pain and it will hurt for a long time but it will get better, I promise. Ladybug is still your friend, you can't forget that. She's still your partner and that isn't going to change. She only said those things because she cares about you, just in a different way. She doesn't hate you at all."

"It feels like she does though." Adrien murmured. "I feel so alone Plagg… she was the only one I could talk to."

"You can still talk to her, that won't change!" Plagg was quick to reassure him. "And you aren't alone, you still have me."

Adrien nodded before he turned his head to face him. "Is it bad that…" He whispered, his throat still croaked from how long he had been holding back his sobs. "Is it bad that I still love her but I hate her a little bit as well?"

"That's normal kid." Plagg went to reassure him but Adrien shook his head.

"As in hate her in a way that makes me want to hurt her?" he asked as Plagg looked at him stunned. He had heard Adrien moaning about people before but he had never heard anything this dark coming from his mouth, the boy usually wouldn't have hurt a fly. "I don't know why but I just feel like I want to hurt something… Ladybug, my father, I don't care, I just want someone to hurt as bad as me… is that bad? Does that make me evil Plagg?"

"No, no, no, it doesn't." Plagg shushed him but he gave Adrien's silver ring a worried glance. "I think the best thing you can do is get some sleep. You've had a rough day and being exhausted tomorrow won't make anything better. Maybe things will look clearer in the morning."

Adrien sleepily nodded as Plagg gave a satisfied smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Adrien said, his words followed by a long yawn.

"Of course I'm right." Plagg scoffed, sounding more like his regular self. "Now get your butt to dreamland already before I kick it there!"

Adrien gave a tired laugh and poked the kwami in his side before he settled down among his nest of duvet. Within minutes, he was fast asleep, the trails of his tears still drying on his cheeks and giving his face an ethereal glow in the light. Plagg curled up on the pillow next to him, giving the silver ring on Adrien's finger another concerned look. _Please not now_ , he silently begged as he felt his eyelids beginning to drop. _Please don't come now Chat Blanc. Just don't_.

OOO

The next day wasn't any easier for Adrien. His father had planned another photoshoot which was meant to last all day and those Adrien found were the worst; though he was meant to get breaks every so often, he always found he was worked through any time he might have to take one and they usually proved a hard slog from beginning to end. What made it worse was that he still didn't feel any better. His heart still hurt like a stake had been plunged into it and the ache of it refused to leave him alone. He tried to model, tried to act like nothing was amiss but his usual sweet smiles were coming out like more of a grimace on the camera. Normally when he was required to smile, he would think of Ladybug and just the thought of her would be enough to make him beam but today it just made tears come to the corners of his eyes. All morning the photographers, stylists and other models were watching his slow sluggish movements, all sharing concerned glances. They had never seen him like this before, they whispered to each other behind their hands. Maybe today was the day Adrien Agreste finally cracked.

It was lunchtime when Adrien was approached by one of the photographers and told kindly to go home. "Listen mate, it's nothing personal," The man said softly in a British accent. "But you're just not with it today. I won't ask you what happened, I know you won't tell me anyway, so please, go home, get some good rest and come back fighting tomorrow. Agreed?"

Adrien had nodded in response, feeling relieved he didn't have to go through that torture for the rest of the day, but when he got back to his room his dreams of a peaceful afternoon were shattered when the TV flickered back on. Both he and Plagg stared at the screen with wide eyes as another akuma was shown charging down a random street, their voice gurgling with evil laughter.

"Again? The last one wasn't even twenty-four hours ago! Hawkmoth, you little shit!" Plagg loudly cursed as he slapped a hand to his face. Adrien didn't need this. His kitten needed rest and some time away from the world, not another akuma to bring him back to the partner who just broke his heart. He looked over at Adrien and when he saw how pale his face was, he swore again. "Shit!"

"Plagg, I've told you before, stop swearing!" Adrien snapped at him but he didn't look irritated.

"What? Your human swearwords are fun to say!" Plagg defended himself. "And it's your fault for letting me watch all those American TV shows!"

"God, don't bring those up again." Adrien said with the faintest hint of a smile at the memory of Plagg practically destroying his room after one of his favourite shows had ended a season on a cliffhanger. "Now we need to get going. Ladybug can't face this on her own." His face now looked dejected and Plagg could feel his own heart breaking at the sight. Usually he would have been so excited at the chance to see his Lady but now he just looked in pain. "Plagg, claws out!"

OOO

"Come back here, pretty bug." The low sultry voice called to Ladybug and although she couldn't see the akuma from her hiding place behind a car, she could tell they were getting closer.

"There's no need for all these secrets. Why keep that face of yours hidden? Come to me and I'll reveal to you all your secrets!"

"Keep them to yourself!" Ladybug cried out as she sprang out to face the villain who gave her a sinister smile as she caught sight of her. "I'm not revealing anything!"

The villain prettily sighed. "All these secrets… all they do is hurt people. Come to me and I'll reveal them all. I'll take their pain away." The woman held up her arms and a gasp snagged in Ladybug's throat. This had to be one of the most unsettling and yet powerful akumas she had ever faced; her name was Dark Desires and her power was that when she touched someone, they would see any secrets that were being kept from them. It seemed that the poor woman had been lied to over something and now had a passionate hatred for secrets that had come to the surface and made her vulnerable to Hawkmoth. As her arms were raised above her head she looked terrifying; her skin was a glittering black that contrasted her deep red eyes and she wore a long black dress that draped around her like a kimono and moved mysteriously through the air around her like smoke. Her long blood-red hair did the same, crackling like fire as it floated like a halo around her head. There were two heavy silver bangles on her arms, one around each wrist, and her lips were etched into a permanent smile. Her appearance made her look like a demoness who stood have been painted on a temple wall from a long forgotten culture and it made Ladybug feel scared. _I hope Chat Noir comes soon_ , she thought, _I can't do this without him._

She must have voiced that thought out loud as suddenly she heard a familiar cocky voice behind her. "Aw, my Lady is too sweet," Chat Noir said as he strode to stand by her. "But never fear, Chat Noir is at last here!"

"Finally." She groaned and rolled her eyes like she normally did when he said daft lines like that but she bit back a biting remark when she saw his face. Though he was smiling like usual, she could tell it was plastered on and his eyes were still full of hurt. They weren't looking at her properly either and she felt guilt punch her hard in the stomach. She had been really hard on him yesterday, her anger fuelled by panic and deep concern for him. She really was frightened that one day he would leap out to protect her from something and seriously hurt himself, hurt himself so badly not even her ladybug magic could save him. She sighed and reached out a hand to rest it on his shoulder.

"Good to see you kitty." She told him and he looked at her in surprise. "Listen, is it alright if-"

"Ah Chat Noir," The akuma's voice cut over hers like a knife and both their attentions were stolen as she slowly stepped towards them, moving like she was floating. "I was wondering when you would show up." She took a deep breath in and then sighed in pleasure like she had smelt something delicious. "There are many secrets surrounding you, you radiate them like an aura. Why don't you let me show some to you? There's so much pain in secrets. Let me make them better and bring them out in the open."

She held out her arms like she was about to embrace him and Chat felt rooted to the spot. Her voice was almost hypnotic and he pondered her words as she edged ever closer. What had she meant when she said he was surrounded by secrets? True he knew he was Chat Noir and that was a pretty big secret but what others were there? Were things being hidden from him? He wanted to ask but suddenly his vision was filled with blackness and a body slammed into him from the side, knocking him to the ground and rolling until he crashed against the side of a parked car.

"Chat? Chat, can you hear me?" Ladybug's voice was frantic as she cupped his face between her hands and when he opened his eyes, the black smoke had cleared and she was looking down at him, her body on top of his as she called to him.

"Wha-what happened?" He asked as she quickly pulled both off them up and checked him for wounds. "What was that?"

"That was her power luring you in." She answered bitterly watching as Dark Desires turned her attention briefly to a random citizen who was powerless to resist her clutches. The moment she touched his head, the poor man started screaming, his eyes going completely black as he writhed around on the ground with his hands over his ears.

"No!" He sobbed at the top of his voice, his legs kicking out like he was having a fit. "She wouldn't do that to me! She wouldn't! Not in our own bed…"

"Holy shit…" Chat Noir breathed out and Ladybug grimly nodded next to him.

"That's what happens when she touches you with her hands." She told him. "She very nearly had you there, if I hadn't pushed us away, we would have been done for." She turned to him and when he looked at her, he could see there was compassion in her eyes. "The secrets she mentioned… was that about your home life?"

He looked at her surprised; he didn't realise she had absorbed so much of what he had told her. Nobody else had bothered with him this much before. "Maybe. I don't know." His head dipped and she squeezed his shoulder again.

"It's OK, I'm still here for you." She whispered and he gave her a glimmer of one of his old grins. "Now let's go kick some creepy akuma butt."

"You lead the way my Lady." He answered and she had to smile at his nickname for her. Maybe this could be the start of something a little better, she thought as they both ran towards the akuma. A new different but stronger friendship. The thought gave her a smile as she threw herself into the air and used her yoyo to anchor herself to the side of a nearby building, hanging from it like a spider as she yelled at the akuma.

"Hey! Look over here, you creepy bitch!" She shouted as the akuma turned to her with her face stuck in that sickly smile that made her skin crawl. "If you want our secrets so badly, you'll have to come and get them!"

"With pleasure." Dark Desires declared as she flexed her long black fingers that were withered like twigs. "I can see the secrets surrounding you too but most of them are your own. Why do you keep them all inside you?" She was now just below her and Ladybug could see smoke curling in the corners of her eyes as she got closer. "Don't you know secrets only hurt?"

"Maybe you, not me." Ladybug gritted her teeth as she forced herself to look away. "Now!"

Before Dark Desires could even look away from Ladybug, Chat Noir had tackled her to the ground with a yell. He yanked her arms so they were above her head and away from him and she gave a snarl as she flailed against his grip. "Ladybug, where's the akuma?!" He yelled over his shoulder as he struggled to pin her to the ground. She was kicking out and growling like an animal underneath him and he didn't know how long he could hold her there for.

"I don't know, just hold on there!" She called as he heard her fly down the wall. "Chat, look out!"

He turned his head a fraction of a second too late as Dark Desires slipped one of her arms free and pressed her entire palm against Chat's face. He cried out as black smoke suddenly swamped all of his senses, filling his eyes and nose as he howled for breath. He felt disorientated and he could feel the hand pressed against his face and he tried to push it away but then, just as quickly as the smoke had appeared, it disappeared and he found himself standing in the hallway of his mansion.

 _Wait, what?_ He thought as he looked around, surprised to see the white marble walls closing in around him. _How did I get here?_ He made to take a step but his limbs felt too heavy and he couldn't move. He was about to call out for Ladybug when there was a loud slamming noise and a woman appeared, running down the long flight of stairs with her hands over her face. She had long blonde hair like spun gold tied up in a loose ponytail and she was wearing an elegant blue dress that clung to her slim figure. Adrien could hear her sobbing and the sound pulled at his heartstrings; he knew what it was like to sob like that. At the foot of the stairs the woman turned around sharply and lowered her hands and he recognised her with a jolt that would have made him step backwards if his body didn't feel like lead. It was his mother, Celine Agreste, the woman he hadn't seen for over four years.

"You can't do this to me Gabriel!" She cried, tears spilling down her beautiful pale face as she glared at the top of the stairs. "You're treating him like a slave, I can't let you do this!"

Adrien watched as his father suddenly loomed out from the top of the stairs, quiet fury written all over his features. "Celine, you are making a big deal out of nothing." His words cut through the air like blades, making his wife flinch. "Adrien is at the age where he can work, it's for the good of the business he will one day own. My father did the same for me and I will do the same to him. I'm looking out for the boy's best interest, can't you see that?"

"That's the point!" She shouted at him, her own anger evident in the green eyes she shared with her son. "He's a boy, our boy, you can't expect him to work like this! He needs to go to school, be with kids his own age, not shut up like this! If you carry on like this, he's going to end up a wreck! I know you always think you're right but this controlling Gabriel… it has to stop!" More tears poured down her face as she reached up her hand like she was going to stroke his cheek but not quite reaching it. "This isn't like you Gabriel…"

"Get out." His voice was like a slap in the face and Celine froze like a statue as he walked back up the stairs away from her. "If you're going to be like this, I don't want you near my son. I'm his father, I'll decide what's best for him and I don't need you treating him like a baby. You always were too emotional with him and it needs to stop. Now get out of my sight!"

Adrien gasped. He had seen his father angry so many times but he had never sounded like that, his voice trembling with hot anger as he lost control. For a moment Celine stared at him in horror and Gabriel seemed to realize this as he cooled off and looked down at her in shock.

"Celine…" He tried to say but she was already running away, her hands scrabbling at the front door to open it as she fought to leave the poisonous atmosphere. "Wait… Celine! Celine!" Gabriel shouted desperately but his wife had already run outside, tears still streaming down her face as she ran from her husband like her life depended on it.

Suddenly, there was more black smoke clouding his vision and when it cleared he was in the front seat of a car. Next to him, his mother was driving, sobs still stinging her throat as she wept, mumbling words he couldn't hear or make sense of. Outside it was night and the sky was dark without even a hint of a moon and it was heavily raining, the droplets pounding the car in all directions like millions of tiny fists. He saw her reach for a tissue to dab at her eyes and then, in a fit of anger, screwed it up and chucked it at the dashboard.

"How dare he say that to me!" She cried out. "I'm his wife, Adrien is as much my son as his! My boy, my poor sweet boy…" She cried fresh tears as her hands gripped the dashboard for dear life and all Adrien wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and make her smile like she did in all his memories of her.

"Mum? Mum?" He called to her but even though she was right next to him, she carried on looking straight ahead at the road. He tried to lift his arm but it still felt too heavy and even when he strained at it, it refused to obey him.

Then, out of nowhere, a pair of bright headlights reared from the watery gloom, heading straight for the tiny car. A loud horn blared and Celine screamed as she swerved the wheel sharply to the left. Suddenly they were falling, the car feeling like it was doing cartwheels as the world around them lurched. Adrien screamed as he tried to move but he still couldn't. He was forced to stay there as the car rolled for what seemed like an eternity before it came to a grinding halt and appeared to collapse, it's body broken and battered like a toy car that had been placed in the hands of some very violent children.

"Mum…?" Adrien's voice was shaky as he looked over at the driver's seat. There, he saw a sight that nearly made him vomit, his entire body trembling with a horror he knew wouldn't leave him for a long time. His mother, his beloved beautiful mother, was slumped over the steering wheel, her neck at an unnatural angle with her head facing him. Her eyes were wide and glassy, looking like they were intently staring at something even though Adrien know she would never be able to stare at anything ever again. There were little barbs of glass all over her body that twinkled mockingly up and him and blood was smeared across her face and body like paint. For a moment Adrien could only stare at her, unable to believe that the woman who had brought so much sunshine into his life was actually dead and had been all this time. Then an anguished cry ripped at his chest and he was suddenly weeping, trying to move to get to her, to cradle her one last time but the black smoke returned, wiping the scene away as he tried to fight it.

"No! Don't take me away! Mum! Mum!" He shouted into the smoke but it still went on with its work, ignoring his wailing cries. Suddenly, he found himself in a strange room, one he had never seen before with blank walls and a tiled floor. Just in front of him was a table with a shroud over it and a body-shaped lump underneath it. He recognised strands of golden hair escaping from one end and he tried to rush to her side but again his body wouldn't let him.

"Mum…" He whispered quietly like he was still hoping to raise her but there was no movement from underneath the sheet. From behind him he heard the sound of a door opening and two figures walked around him to stand by the bed, both looking at it solemnly. One was an unfamiliar tall dark-skinned man in a long white coat with a clipboard, the other was his father.

"The autopsy results were as we suspected, Mr Agreste," The other man was telling his father and Adrien realised he had to be a doctor. "Though she suffered several injuries in the crash when the car rolled, we believe she died almost instantly from a broken neck. We can't be sure but she wouldn't have been in much pain. There was no evidence of either drink or drugs in her system, everything appears to be as the other witnesses said. She was driving, another driver was heading the wrong way in the rain and she swerved to avoid him and the car rolled down the hill. It's a tragic accident, a very tragic accident." The man shook his head sadly. "I suspect you'll want a report then you can hand it to the coroner, declare her death-"

"No." Gabriel cuts across him and then turned his head to glare at him with eyes of ice. "I don't want any report and nobody is going to the coroner. I want the body handed to me and I want the witnesses silenced, I don't care how. I want every piece of paperwork about this accident destroyed; I want it to be like it never happened."

"What?" The doctor stared at him in total shock. "But… but why?"

"You don't need to know why, just do it!"

"But… what about your son? He'll surely notice his mother is missing…"

"I will tell him that she left. After all that is what she did." Gabriel said firmly, his eyes trailing back down to the body of his wife. "Now go and do as I say!"

The doctor looked like he was about to argue but then he sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Yes, Mr Agreste." He said dejectedly before he left the room. The door slammed shut again and Gabriel moved to one end of the table, the end where Celine's hair was visible streaming under the sheet like ribbon. His fingers caressed the strands gently and when he next spoke, his voice was thick.

"Celine…" He whispered. "My Celine, what have I done to you…"

"No!" Adrien screamed at his father as he continued to stroke his mother's hair. He tried to run at him but he still couldn't move though it didn't stop him straining at the invisible forces that bound him to the spot. "Don't touch her! Don't you dare touch her with your murderous hands! You killed her! You killed her!" The black smoke was returning, trying to fill him back up but he again fought it, still screaming at his father.

"You murderer! You murdered her, you killed my mum…"

"Chat?"

Ladybug's voice echoed in his head and he was suddenly able to open his eyes. He gasped for air as he frantically looked around, trying to find out where he was. "Ladybug?"

"It's OK Chat, it's all OK, you're back now." She said gently as she eased him into a sitting position. Chat looked around again, recognising the street where he and Ladybug had been fighting the akuma just moments before. The area was now swarmed with ambulances and police cars, people in uniforms were walking around him busily, dealing with the aftermath of the attack as victims were lead into the backs of the ambulances and the police took statements. He could see one woman sitting on a step nearby, a blanket around her shoulders as she stared hollowly at the ground. Adrien saw she was wearing two heavy silver bangles and his eyes went wide.

"Is that…"

"Her? Yes," Ladybug finished off for him. "When she grabbed your face, I saw where the akuma was; it was in a tiny charm dangling from one of the bracelets, one anyone would have easily missed. Hawkmoth is getting sneakier, I swear." She tried to laugh but when she saw his expression, she stopped and went on. "When she was occupied with you, I managed to grab it and purify the akuma from it. I was just talking to her and she really isn't a bad person." She bit her lip and turned to look sadly at the woman, who now had pearly tears on her cheeks. "Her mother died a few weeks ago and they had the will reading this morning. Her mother left her the bracelets but also this letter that revealed she was adopted. She never even suspected it."

"Right." Chat tried to steady his breathing but it was coming out in erratic gasps and remembering what he had seen under the akuma's influence was only making it worse. "What… what was I doing?"

Ladybug looked hesitant to tell him but he pushed her with a look and she finally relented. "At first, you were just screaming." She told him. "She kept her hand on your face and you were just screaming and screaming, I've never heard anything like it. It made me shudder to hear you. Then you were rolling around on the ground with your hands over your ears, just screaming and screaming… Then you started yelling things, it was just random words. You kept saying Mum over and over again… then you were saying murderer…" She gave him a worried look as she rubbed a circle on his shoulder and he stared at the ground. "Chat…what happened? What did you see? You can tell me, you know you can tell me anything…"

"That bastard." Chat Noir growled, his voice far deeper and angrier than she had ever heard it before. Before his head had been muddled and he looked like it had been reeling but now everything was clear in his mind and he was shaking with anger. "He did it!"

"He…did what?" Ladybug asked, her voice quivering to betray how scared she was. "Chat…"

She was almost swiped out of the way as Chat Noir bolted from the scene, running away and leaping over all the vehicles in his path on all-fours. Ladybug tried to chase him, yelling his name after him but to no avail. She finally slowed to a halt as his black figure disappeared from her sight and she was forced to turn around and make her own way home. As she swung effortlessly through the air, her thoughts were consumed with her partner's agony. She had always known he was troubled, he had spilled his woes on her shoulders so many times over the last three years, she had lost count but she never imagined it was anything like the pain she had seen in his face that day. She looked up to the sky and felt tears forming at the back of her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Chat," She whispered as she caught sight of her warm safe home just ahead of her, the lights in the bakery downstairs still gleaming. "I'm so sorry."


	3. Chapter 3

Marinette tumbled back into the sanctuary of her room just as her transformation wore off. She gave a tired sigh that was matched by her kwami Tikki, who she handed a cookie from the secret stash she had in her room before she collapsed on her spinning desk chair. She let it whizz her around for a few moments as she felt too weary to stop it, her mind still digesting all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. How can so much happen in such a short space of time? She groaned as she used her arms to drag herself along her desk to her computer, telling herself she should do some work but she could already tell this wouldn't be a productive day-that akuma had seen to that by making her partner become so strange.

Thinking of Chat Noir made her openly wince. She had never met anybody quite like him; he was one of the kindest people she knew as well as the daftest from all the lines he spouted like water, but she had always sensed there was pain inside him. When they had first met three years ago, the first time they had put their masks on and become superheroes, he had been a nervous wreck, unable to look her in the eye, wobbling like jelly and stuttering whenever he spoke; it had taken her an age to calm him down and get him to have some confidence in himself. Over the years he had started to open up to her, telling her about the problems he had at home with his father who sounded so cold and distant from his son, it had made her heart ache when she thought of her own loving family. She had never realized how lucky she was to have them and that had only made her more determined to protect them and keep her identity safe. She knew Chat had always wanted them to reveal themselves to each other but she had always been against it, wanting to keep them both safe. She wasn't even sure she knew him; he was about her age yet she knew of no blond-haired boys with green eyes at her school.

When she had realized yesterday he was in love with her, it had stunned her to the core and led her to reject him. She moaned again when she remembered what had happened and she put her hands over her eyes. She regretted being so harsh with him now after today. Seeing him like that had really scared and intrigued her-what could he have possibly seen to make him scream that way? She had guessed it had to do with his mother who she only just realized he had never talked about. Had something happened to her? A part of her wanted to know but another part remembered how horrified Chat Noir had looked and his tone of voice when he had awoken. It had to have been something truly awful to merit that kind of reaction from a boy who she knew kept a lot of things back and that thought made her feel cold all over.

In an attempt to distract herself from the day's event, she logged on to her computer to take a look at her most recent designs. _Some of them are coming out pretty decently_ , she thought happily. Her worries nearly always melted away when confronted with her greatest passion-fashion design. She had loved fashion ever since she was a little girl making clothes for her dolls, taking inspiration from the magazines she bought with her pocket money and using the scraps of whatever material she could find around the house. She gave a fond smile as she remembered all those blissful hours she had spent pouring over the pictures, her mouth hanging open at all the amazing designs and colours she had seen there, so different from the world of the bakery where clothes were frequently decorated with flour and stains of various cake batters. She had vowed then that one day her designs would be featured in a magazine like that and she still hadn't given up on that dream. She had known it wasn't going to be easy-Paris was a city that had fashion running through its blood and it was so difficult just to get noticed, but everyone who knew Marinette believed she would one day do it. She was a strong and determined girl, only just a legal adult at 18 but that made her no less determined to take on the world.

She spent a happy few minutes on her designs, tweaking things here and there on certain items by moving bows, adding more fabric on a train and taking away the brocade on one dress, thinking it was too much. Once she had done all that though, the worries were starting to creep back up on her and she was powerless to stop them. She tried again to distract herself by designing a new outfit but nothing was coming to her. Whenever she closed her eyes and tried to think, she would hear Chat Noir's screams and see his thrashing body in front of her, kicking her away as he shouted for his mum over and over again. His voice had sounded so heart broken, she had nearly cried at the scene. Since he had started telling her about his home life and how alone he felt, she had begun to feel very protective of him and she knew this would have an effect on his already worn-down soul. What was going to happen to her poor kitty now?

Realising fashion wasn't going to help her now, she grumpily tossed her notebook away and returned to her computer, looking to see if Alya was online. Her best friend had recently taken a new job for the paper she worked for and was currently travelling across Europe with her boyfriend Nino who had also managed to secure some DJing gigs across the continent, so he could come and support her. The pair were the cutest couple Marinette knew, they were always joined at the hip and she was sure that even if Nino hadn't got those jobs, he would have gone with her anyway. The three of them had gone to school together and had been firm friends since Alya had started at the school three years before, her bonding with Marinette over macaroons and then both of them becoming friends with Nino after they went to one of his gigs. They were still inseparable even now, still meeting up almost every day and texting non-stop, even when Alya had a long-distance job and Nino was away gigging.

The three were close, but sometimes Marinette couldn't help feeling behind her friends. It wasn't just that they were both doing their dream jobs already whilst she was still living and working at her parent's bakery, it was also because they were so in love with each other, she felt like the third wheel. She had watched them fall for each other and been very supportive of it, nearly screaming the house down when Alya told her they had finally got together eight months ago, but she still sometimes wished there had been a fourth person in their group that she could turn to. Especially when Alya and Nino had moved into their own flat together and especially now, when they were both away being lovebirds somewhere else. She had dated a few guys before, one of them being her classmate Nathanaël which had gotten pretty serious until she had cut it off, scared of how fast it was progressing, but nothing had ever felt like how her friend's love felt; she wasn't even sure she could even say she had ever been in love. _Human hearts are just confusing_ , she thought with a grudging tone. She was tired of hearing how the right person was just out there _somewhere_ and she just had to find them. She just wanted them to be here already so she could feel less alone.

She clicked onto the last message she had sent and watched the little map on the screen that told her where Alya was. She had added the new feature on her phone so Marinette could track her progress and hopefully, in her words, stop fretting so much. The red blinking dot showed her that Alya was still in Rome, the same as she had been yesterday but Marinette knew that tomorrow they would be heading south towards Sicily. She screwed up her face as she tried to remember the list of places Alya had rattled off to her like a shopping list; first it had been all the countries in the north like Germany, Norway and Denmark which Nino's only judgement had been to comment on how great the food was, then from there they had gone through Poland, then Ukraine followed by Turkey and Greece which was their stop before Italy. Then they would head for Spain, travel through Portugal before heading for London and staying there for Alya to finish off her articles. It was only then when they would get back to Paris and Marinette couldn't wait for that. Right now, she really needed Alya's shoulder to lean on and Nino to say some ridiculous slang words. This business being Ladybug was a tough one as she had never told anyone, not even her friends who were gigantic fans of her, and that really took a toll on her. Between her fashion design college course, her work at the bakery, her designing and being a superhero, she felt like she had no time to just relax. _Maybe it's a good thing I don't have a boyfriend_ , she chuckled to herself as she closed the window and went to check her emails. _I don't think I could fit one in if I tried._

She went into her inbox and started sorting through the couple of dozen emails she had been sent that day. Most of them were the usual spam advertising things she didn't care for and offering vouchers she knew she would never use, a couple were from collage that she read and then dismissed and a few more were just random junk she quickly deleted. She quickly got to the last email that was the most recent one and she was about to delete it when she saw the address-it was directly from the Agreste fashion house. The realization nearly made her fall from her chair in shock. Agreste was one of the biggest designer brands out there, their clothes were worth a fortune and Marinette could only dream of owning something from them. The business was run ruthlessly by Gabriel Agreste, who had been passed the business from his own father but was the one who had made the business really explode, ready to pass it on to his son Adrien who had been the face of the company for the last four years. In the fashion world, he was lorded as a genius and Marinette herself was a huge fan of his work, always scrambling to see his latest line the moment it came out. And now she had an email from them? _This must be a mistake,_ she thought, her hand shaking as she clicked on it. _I'll just tell them this is a mistake and they can send it to the right recipient. That will be it._

However, she realised she was wrong when she saw her name at the very top of the email. Letting out a little squeak, she scrolled down to read the rest of the email and her heart felt like it would give out as her eyes followed the formal words.

 _Dear Marinette Dupain-Cheng_

 _It has come to my attention that you are a bright young designer with a lot of talent. I have seen a brief sample of your work and I confess myself intrigued by what you've done, so early in your career. To see a spark like yours is rare in someone so young and I wish to see it fanned into a flame._

 _Talking of your career, I understand that you are currently not employed in the fashion business. To discuss this further, I have arranged a meeting for us both at my offices here in Paris to happen in one month. This should be sufficient time for you to create a full portfolio that I will look over at said meeting._

 _I await your reply to this email as confirmation._

 _I hope we will speak shortly_

 _Yours faithfully_

 _Gabriel Agreste_

Marinette's eyes went wider than saucers when she read the name at the end of the email. _The_ Gabriel Agreste had emailed _her_? _He_ thought _she_ was talented? _This can't be real_ , was all she could think but the evidence was right there in front of her. Moving like she was in a dream, she sent an email back to confirm that she would be there and as it was sent, she could feel her chest tighten. She was really going to meet her idol. This was really going to happen.

"Marinette?" She spun around in her chair to see Tikki's concerned eyes were on her. Only then did she realise she hadn't breathed since she read the email and she gave a great gasp, making the little red fairy look even more worried. "What's wrong?"

"Look!" Marinette found that was the only word she could say as she pointed to the screen. Tikki flew over and began to read it, her eyes growing wider with each word before she gave a loud squeak.

"Oh wow Marinette! Is this real? This is like your dream come true!"

"I know," Marinette answered, still sounding bewildered. "I can't believe this is real." She looked up at the wall above her desk which was covered in glossy pages she had torn from magazines over the years. There were so many of them, the pink wall behind the display was barely visible and her parents often joked that she would one day wallpaper her entire room with them. She kept it frequently updated, exchanging old pictures for new, and as she looked up at them she could see quite a few were from the Agreste brand, modelled by Gabriel's famous son Adrien. She looked up into the handsome smiling face of the young man, who she realized must be about her age, and gave a smile. She had admired him for many years despite not knowing a great deal, like his father the boy wasn't seen out in public much, and she thought he was very handsome but there was something about him that unsettled her a little. He always had a look in his eyes that reminded her a little of a caged bird and when she looked up at his picture, it made her want to set him free from whatever was trapping him. She shook her head slightly, berating herself for being so ridiculous.

"You don't have time for this," She whispered to herself, pushing all thoughts of Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir out of her mind as she reached for her notebook again, Tikki giving an encouraging smile behind her. "You have a portfolio to work on."

OOO

After the akuma fight and the vision he had been forced to witness, Adrien had run straight for his own room, longing for its safety, before he then bolted for his bathroom. There he couldn't hold it back anymore and he loudly vomited, his body shaking over the toilet bowl as it was rocked by spasms again and again. Halfway through, his transformation wore off and Plagg stared worriedly down at him, the dread spreading through his own body at such a rate he wondered if he would be sick himself. Plagg had been able to see the whole thing with Adrien as the pair of them had been fused together and he had been just as sickened. He could remember Adrien telling him about his mother Celine; how she had been the parent responsible for most of his upbringing as his father was always working, how she had been such a kind, caring, person everybody warmed to, how even his father had seemed to smile, and be more cheerful when she was there. Then when he was fourteen, she had suddenly been gone and his father had started his brutal regime. To Adrien, it was like the sun had disappeared from his life and to know she had been in a place where nobody could reach her all that time was soul-destroying. Plagg waited until the spasms seemed to stop and Adrien began breathing at a steady rate, patting his head before he dared to speak.

"Kid? Kid?" He got no response from the boy who was still heaving in great gulps of air to try and calm down. "Adrien? Talk to me, you have to say-"

"He killed her." Adrien said in a low voice that startled Plagg into flying backwards a little. "He murdered her and then covered up her death."

"It was an accident, Adrien," Plagg tried to tell him, flying close to his ear as he took a scared look at Adrien's hand where his ring gleamed brightly in the cynical light of the bathroom. Maybe, if he could calm him down now, his greatest fear wouldn't come true. "A tragic accident on the road it was because of the night and the rain-"

"She would never have been on that road if my father hadn't told her to get out." Adrien said, his temper rising from within with every word like magma. "If he hadn't said that, she would still be alive. He covered up her death, he didn't even report it, doesn't that show you how guilty he is?" he snapped at Plagg who had no reply to his sudden anger. "They were arguing over me, my mum didn't want me to model…she wanted me to go to school, have friends, be a kid. Why didn't he listen? If he had, then she wouldn't be dead and I wouldn't be this… this… fucked up!"

He let out an angry howl as he pressed his head to the coldness of the toilet seat, his hands gripping it either side like claws. His dam wall to keep his emotions locked away was cracking under the strain and it felt like it was breaking his whole body. "I hate him." He declared, his voice dark and guttural as he twisted his body around to look at Plagg. "You hear that? I _hate_ him!"

"Adrien, please calm down," Plagg said, almost begging as he flew down in front of his face. "You're not fucked up, don't think that. I know you are angry right now and you have every right to be but maybe there's a reason, if he had a chance to explain…" He couldn't think of anything to say. What reason could a man have for hiding his wife's death from everyone including their son? God, he hated the man, if just for what he had done to damage Adrien. He looked back down at his charge as he leapt to his feet and stalked angrily from the room.

"He doesn't deserve a chance!" Adrien was close to screaming again, his new anger rolling through him in waves that were only getting stronger as he began to tremble with their force. He had never felt like this before, never had this much emotion showing and he didn't think that he could control it now if he wanted to. All he had in him was anger and he willingly let himself burn in it. "He doesn't deserve anything! And don't give me that, I know I'm fucked up, what kind of person wouldn't be like this? Who else bottles stuff up like this? I'm so fucked up, Ladybug doesn't want me and he's the one who did it! He's responsible for it and I hate him! I want him to hurt, I want him to feel like this! He's the one who should have this pain, not me!"

He stood there in the centre of his room after his outburst, his eyes looking at Plagg darkly from underneath a curtain of golden hair as if daring him to say something against him. Plagg just opened and closed his mouth, the anger in the air choking the words from his lungs. Two pairs of green eyes stared at each other, one angry, one wary and scared, as a silent battle was raged. Then, out of nowhere, a voice suddenly spoke that made both of them jump. Adrien looked around frantically for the source but Plagg didn't move as his worst fears were confirmed.

 **"** **You should want him to hurt. He's put you through so much, hasn't he? So much agony, so much pain… It's a wonder you could take it all up to this point."**

The voice sounded male and it spoke slowly, each word like the flexing of a muscle. Its tone was an odd mix of incredible sharpness like broken glass and a strange warmth and it made it utterly hypnotic; Adrien didn't think he could have stopped listening if he tried and he stood motionless as it continued to speak.

 **"** **I could give you a way to make you hurt him. I want to see him brought low just as much as you. Imagine that… him feeling all that pain. I can give you ways of destroying him, I can make it all possible… I can take away all these worries and cares and make you feel free…"**

"Plagg, what's going on?" Adrien's voice was filled with fear as he looked back at his kwami. "What's happening?"

"Adrien, listen to me." Plagg said slowly and clearly, keeping his voice calm even though his insides were a storm. "You need to do exactly as I say, OK?" Adrien gave a nod and Plagg nodded in return. "I need you to take your ring off."

"What?!" Adrien exclaimed as the voice loudly hissed like a cat. "Won't that-"

"Don't question me yet!" Plagg said loudly over him. "Just take it off and don't put it back on until you are calm again!"

"But…"

"Just do it!" Plagg finally shouted and Adrien went to obey, sliding the silver ring from his finger.

 **"** **NOOOOO!"**

The voice let out a howl as Adrien slipped off the ring and held it in his palm. There, it just looked like any ring you could buy in a shop, its appearance not giving away a single hint to the power within. His finger felt oddly naked without it; this was the first time he had taken it off in the three years he had had it and his finger now had a white mark on it where the skin hadn't seen sunlight for all that time. His eyes wandered around the room, looking for Plagg even though he knew he wasn't there. It was a habit he had as the black fairy was usually up to something. The room now felt empty without his presence there and Adrien was beginning to get scared. He felt like a toddler whose mother he had just lost in a crowd; without Plagg, he truly was alone. He forced himself to take deep breaths and a few minutes later, he felt calm enough to put the ring back on his finger. He put it back on slowly, scared that the voice would instantly come back but instead there was a flash of light and a relieved-looking Plagg was suddenly floating back in front of him sighing.

"That was close." He gasped out wearily. "That was way too clo-hey what are you doing?!"

"Plagg! You're alright!" Adrien had lunged at the kwami and squashed him in a tight hug that Plagg was certain would have broken a human's back let alone his own. Plagg glared up at him as he felt the air being knocked from his lungs but the boy looked so happy that he couldn't not indulge him. Plagg wasn't one for open affection but in his relief, he told himself he could stomach it, for his kitten's sake. However, when the hug stretched to over a minute, he had to get out of his suffocating arms and he wriggled free, coming up to float in front of Adrien's face.

"Of course, I'm alright!" He said, trying to sound annoyed but failing in the face of Adrien's happy grin to have him back. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"That voice…" Adrien bit his lip hard and stared at Plagg with his eyes wide, making him look years younger than he was. "I thought it was going to do something. Plagg what was that?"

"That kid, was Chat Blanc." Plagg answered. "And you shouldn't worry, he can't get me _." But he can get you,_ he thought but he didn't say anything out loud.

"Chat Blanc?" Adrien repeated. "Who is he? And why was he saying all that stuff about giving me ways of hurting…people?" He clenched his fists at the memory of the man he wanted to hurt but he kept himself calm, not wanting to hear that voice again.

Plagg gave a little sigh. He had hoped he would never have to explain this to him but now he was forced to. "OK kid, listen closely. You remember how I said that the black cat miraculous has the powers of destruction?" He told him and Adrien nodded wordlessly. "Well the thing is with destructive powers, no matter how much you use them for good, they always have that darkness with them, that potential for great evil to be done with them. That means the miraculous has a shard of darkness deep inside it that no one can get rid of and that darkness is Chat Blanc."

"But what exactly is he?"

"He's a sort of phantom that dwells deep inside the miraculous, so deep that usually he can't be awoken. He feeds off of a high state of anger and a desire for destruction-that's why you had to take the ring off, otherwise he would have started draining your emotions and your energy from you. That's when he starts to become more powerful and takes hold of you. When he possesses a wielder, he gives them great powers of destruction but all you can do is destroy. He's a necessary evil for the miraculous, without him it wouldn't exist, but he still can have great consequences. I've seen so many people succumb to him and things never end well, they get swamped by their powers and end up destroying all they know and love." He gave Adrien a pleading look as he put his hands either side of his face, making him look into his thin green eyes. "Adrien, do not listen to him. If you ever hear him again, just take your ring off, and wait until you are calm again. I don't want to see you used by him. You promise me you'll do that?" His eyes bore into Adrien's until he meekly nodded.

"I promise." He said and Plagg again sighed.

"OK. Hopefully that will be the last we see of him." He said. "I'll have to kick his butt if he touches my cheese."

"Wow." Adrien snorted at him, his fear melted away. "I swear this house could go up in flames and all you'd be crying over is the cheese."

"It's the most important thing." Plagg shrugged not denying it, and Adrien laughed again. "Now come on, we both need to sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

"Yeah." Adrien stretched as he clambered into bed and laid on his back. The lights went out and Plagg took his position on Adrien's other pillow, curling up into a little ball as he gave a contented meow. He had just closed his eyes when he heard Adrien's nervous voice cut through the dark.

"Hey, Plagg?"

"Yes?" He answered without opening his eyes.

"Do you think Chat Blanc will come back?"

"I don't think so. Now go to sleep."

There was silence for a few minutes and Plagg was just dozing off when he heard the sound of muffled sniffing. He opened his eyes to see Adrien was lying on his side facing him, his eyes dribbling tears whilst his hand was covering his mouth.

"Adrien? What's wrong?"

"I still don't know where she is Plagg."

"What do you mean?"

"I just realized… I don't know what Father did with her body. He could have had her buried anywhere and I don't know where… I can't even visit her now…"

"Oh kid…"

Now Plagg really didn't know whether Chat Blanc would come back or not.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Plagg woke up to the sounds of material rustling and quiet thumping. He opened one eye lazily and looked over at the other side of the bed, expecting Adrien to be doing something and for him to tell the boy to shut up, but he shot his head up when he saw it was empty and the sheets Adrien had been curled up in had been thrown to the floor.

"Kid?!" He called out in a panic, his sensitive ears straining to hear if the shower was on. Adrien always had a shower the moment he got up and would sometimes have several in a day but right now he couldn't hear the sound of the rushing water and that made him fear the worst. "Adrien?!"

"What?" An irritated voice came from the other side of the room and Plagg whipped around to see Adrien was standing in front of his wardrobe with an unimpressed look on his face and a finger over his lips. "Shh! It's six in the morning, do you want to wake the whole house up?"

Plagg's eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms as his extreme worry was changed to irritation. "I'll have you know kid, I am a god and gods are not shushed! It was your rummaging that woke me up!" He snapped, before he gazed over the mess Adrien was making. His wardrobe doors were wide open and half the contents were on the floor, the expensive clothes crumpled in heaps like discarded paper and shoes scattered without their partners as Adrien continued to sort through and chuck out more and more, emptying the giant piece of furniture at a rapid pace. "And anyway, what are you doing? It's so early the birds aren't even up yet and you're just making a mess!"

"I'm not making a mess, I'm looking for-this!" Adrien gave a delighted smile as he suddenly bent over, his top half looking like it had been swallowed up by the wardrobe. He emerged a few seconds later with a triumphant beam on his face, holding up a small cardboard shoebox that had a thick layer of tape around it, looking at it like it was the Holy Grail. "I found it!"

"Found what?" His curiosity peaked, Plagg flew over as Adrien walked back to the bed and rested the box on the bare mattress, already starting to peel away the tape, with all the seriousness of an archaeologist unwrapping a mummy.

"It's a box of my mum's things." Adrien answered quietly, keeping his head bowed so he missed the soft look Plagg gave him. "I took them from her room just after she…left and I noticed my father had started to get rid of her things. He said he was sending them to her, wherever she had gone but I didn't want them to go. I thought if he sent all her stuff away, then she would never come back." He sniffed and rub his hand against his eyes but no tears fell from his eyes. Already he had cried enough to sink the Titanic and he didn't think he had any more tears to shed. "So one day, I just snuck into her room and took a few things, then I put them in here and hid them in my wardrobe. I figured if she realized they were missing, she would have to come back and then I could persuade her to stay." He shook his head slightly as he looked down at the box which was now almost tape-free. "It never even crossed my mind that she _couldn't_ come back."

"Oh kid," Plagg murmured as he perched on Adrien's shoulder and leant his head against his own. "This whole thing… it really blows."

"Yeah, it does." Adrien murmured back in agreement and for a moment, the two of them were silent. Then Adrien reached out and opened the box, releasing a musty smell that lingered with sweetness like the scent of forgotten memories. He breathed it in with a small smile as he started to go through the contents, showing each precious piece to his kwami before laying it lovingly on the bed.

"This was her favourite silk scarf," He explained happily as he held up the silky material that burst with pink and blue ripples to the light. "She wore it all the time and my father loved to see it on her, he said it suited her perfectly and it really did. This was the perfume she wore for special occasions, she had it imported from Tibet or somewhere and she only ever used it sparingly, she hated to waste a drop. She loved this photograph, it came from her old home in the countryside, can you see how green it is and how it goes on for miles? She said that she imagined Heaven looked like that and that one day she would take me there and show me." For a moment, his voice faltered as his eyes stared at the green landscape in the silver frame and he had to put it down, instead focusing on the last few items in the box. "And these were some of her favourite pieces of jewellery, not the most expensive stuff but the things that had real sentimental value to her. See, this necklace," He said, holding up a string of black pearls that gleamed almost metallically in the dim morning light. "She was wearing those the first time she met my father, she always told that story like it was a fairy tale, even though they literally just bumped into each other in their college class. She liked this gold chain because it belonged to her mother, she said that if I had a daughter, I could pass it on to her and it would go down the family line. This broach was one of my father's first designs and he gave it to her on their first anniversary, I rarely saw her without it. And this," He picked up the final piece in the box almost solemnly, trailing the long thin black chain in his hands with the small purple locket hanging from his fingers. "This was one of the last gifts she got from me, it was for her birthday. It opens up and when you do, she's in it, see." He pulled at the little clasp by the side and it swing open easily almost like it had gotten tired of waiting for somebody to finally see what was inside. There, a miniature photograph of Celine Agreste looked up at them, a smile very like Adrien's gracing her beautiful face whilst her kindly green eyes stared out of the photo like she was actually beaming at her son. Adrien couldn't help smiling at the sight and Plagg found the corners of his mouth were also twitching. _I must have an itch_ , he thought. _Either that or I'm getting way too soft._

"I was thinking of wearing this today." Adrien said softly, shaking Plagg out of his thoughts. "That way I have a part of her close to me. I thought maybe that, if I had this, I wouldn't feel so mad and then Chat Blanc won't come back. What do you think?"

His hopeful eyes turned to Plagg, the irises green as the fields shown in his mother's picture, and the god could only nod in response. "That sounds like a great idea, kid." He finally choked out, watching the boy as he slid the chain around his neck and tucked the locket underneath his shirt where it made the tiniest of bulges just over his heart before he went to tuck the box under his bed. "Your mum… she'd be proud of you, I know she would be."

"You really think so?" Adrien said quietly but eagerly and Plagg wanted to roll his eyes at how insecure he was.

"Of course, she would be! What other mother can say her child is out saving Paris every day?" He pointed out to him snarkily, still pleased that he had some of his cynical side left in him that hadn't been eroded away by this boy. "And despite everything, you've grown up into a nice sweet kid… she really would be beaming with pride."

"Thanks." Adrien said as he nuzzled his head against Plagg's like they were both cats. "That means an awful lot." He drew away from Plagg, who had given a little purr, and gave him a smirk. "You know, you've been kinda nice recently, I'm wondering if somebody's tampered with your cheese or something."

"They better not have," Plagg growled darkly as Adrien laughed and they both set off for breakfast. "Or they will really have the wrath of a god on them."

"Yeah, I'm sure they're trembling in their boots right now."

"Shut up, you haven't seen all my powers yet."

"OK, then show me."

"… Don't want to."

"Oooh, such a scary god. Save me, he might decide to use his sarcasm on me."

"Just shut up and give me my cheese. It's hungry work putting up with you."

OOO

The rest of that day seemed to go surprisingly well. After breakfast, Adrien was whisked off to complete the photoshoot from yesterday and it went a lot better than he was expecting. After the turmoil of the last few days, the long hours spent changing, having his hair fiddled with and his face dusted with make-up, were strangely comforting and he allowed himself back into the embrace of the strict routine, letting it wash over him as his body was adjusted in different positions for the camera like he was made of clay. Having his mother's jewellery with him gave him a sense of peace that he couldn't remember ever feeling before and it was showing; the photographers were saying that this was some of his best work. Thankfully, the shoot was more of a brooding one that didn't require any smiling. That would have been a step too far but even if he wasn't feeling happy, there was some sort of contentment he had inside him like a warm glowing light among the darkness and he hoped that in time, it would come to grow.

Plagg was also relieved at this new development. The locket around his neck was really having an effect on him; even though it was obvious he wasn't completely OK, he was still earning some worried glances from how quiet he was being, and his lack of responsiveness at times but it really was a step forwards. Plagg allowed himself to relax a little from his position in Adrien's front pocket, he had to remove his over-shirt for the shoot and it was draped across the back of a chair, giving Plagg a perfect view of Adrien as he modelled. _Maybe there's a better chance Chat Blanc won't return and it will all work out_ , he mused happily as he curled up in the warm pocket, ready for a well-deserved cat nap.

However, a few hours later, Plagg was awoken by the crisp sound of a pair of footsteps walking dangerously close to his hiding place and he sprang up in alarm, almost falling out of the pocket. He peeped out from the top, trying to see what was happening and his eyes caught on a clock nailed to the nearby wall. They widened at the late hour before he looked worriedly towards Adrien, who he could tell by the way he was slumped over a little was getting exhausted. _C'mon kid_ , he silently pleaded with Adrien as he saw his eyelids drooping. _Just a little longer, you can do this._

Plagg looked around the room and saw a lot of the people that had previously been milling around chatting were now tense, looking around anxiously and staying silent like they were trying to blend into the background. Confused, Plagg's eyes continued to wonder and his stomach dropped when he saw the reason why. Standing at one end of the studio, with his arms crossed and his face in a grimace, was Gabriel Agreste. He was staring at his son as he worked, focusing on every move he made. It reminded Plagg of the way a slave master looked at a new purchase and it made him sick. _If I really had all the wrath I wanted_ , he thought _, he would be the first I turned it on._

For the first time, Adrien completely ignored his father. Usually he would have been staring towards him, desperate for some crumb of approval that never came, but now he kept his eyes firmly away from him, even turning his head so the man couldn't see the anger burning in his eyes. For a second, Plagg thought it was all going to go fine, with Gabriel ignoring Adrien as normal and then the boy returning to his room, but that was hopelessly dashed when he saw Gabriel's cold blue eyes the colour of glaciers zoom in on Adrien's neck. At once he held up his hand and walked over to his son, his face coldly angry as Adrien refused to look at him.

"Adrien. What is this?" Gabriel's heavily pronounced the words like they were icicles and the room went quiet as he reached for the tiny slip of black chain that had escaped the confines of his collar. He yanked it upwards in one harsh movement so it looked like he had Adrien on a leash but the model still refused to look at him. "Answer me now."

At the quiet commanding threat, Adrien slowly turned his head around to face his father, his green eyes staring back defiantly at him. "It's one of mum's necklaces," He answered plainly, seeing the lines of anger that were straining on his father's face. "I've had it for a while and I wanted to wear it today."

"You shouldn't be wearing this…" Gabriel started to say but to his and everybody else's surprise, Adrien spoke over him.

"Why shouldn't I? She was my mum, I have a right to wear her stuff to remember her by. And if you're worried about your precious photoshoot, I was careful to keep it hidden. It won't be in any of the pictures."

"He's right," The head photographer said, stepping forwards with the camera. Gabriel shot him an icy glare that nearly made him turn back but he held out the camera with a shaky hand and the designer grabbed the camera to start looking through them. "I've checked, none show any sign that he had a chain around his neck. There is a slight lump here from the necklace but that can easily be removed in Photoshop, they were going to be touched up anyway…" His voice faded away as Gabriel gave a snarl and handed the camera back, causing the man to scamper away in relief.

"See? There's no problem with it." Adrien said but Gabriel wasn't listening anymore. Instead he pulled on the chain hard, causing it to snap loudly and leave a red mark on Adrien's neck. The boy yelped in pain but Gabriel paid no attention; instead he had opened the locket and was staring down at the face of his smiling wife in the small window inside. For a split second, something flickered across his face that could have been remorse but it was quickly gone as Gabriel stuffed the whole thing into his pocket and turned back to Adrien, who now had small tears shining in the corners of his eyes.

"You should just forget about your mother." He told him coldly, betraying no emotion. "She's been gone for years and all her memory does is make you emotional. If you had any sense, you would have handed this to me years ago."

"What? No!" Adrien looked his father in the eyes as his voice started to rise in volume, shaking uncontrollably as he struggled to battle the emotions raging inside him like a hurricane. "I can't forget her! She's my mum, she was the loveliest, kindest, most caring person I've ever known and I won't ever forget her, no matter what you say! Now, give me back her locket!"

He forced his hand out in front of him with his palm up but Gabriel made no attempt to move. Both men stared at each other for a few moments as the air around them both seemed to freeze over. Then Gabriel spoke, his words biting as they each seemed to sink into Adrien's skin.

"Your mother was a selfish woman; she left you and me, left with no trace of a goodbye or where she went. She abandoned us both and I refuse to dwell on her any longer. Her memory is causing you too much pain-which is why when you return to your room, I want you to remove anything in there that was hers. No excuses. If I find anything that you tried to keep, you will be severely punished. Understand?"

"What? Father…" Adrien tried to argue but Gabriel had already swept from the room, his footsteps echoing off the walls as he walked away with the locket still in his hand, the chain swinging like a pendulum. Adrien stared after him for a few minutes, his arm frozen stiff as he continued to hold it out like he had forgotten it was there. He didn't move from his position until one of the hair stylists gently tapped him on the shoulder and at her touch, he jumped and looked around frantically like he had forgotten where he was.

"Adrien?" The young woman asked him gently. "Are you alright? Do you want something?"

The questions seemed to trigger something inside him and he let out a growl that made all the people crowding around him jump back scared.

"I need to go." He said bluntly, just before he turned around and stormed from the set, his fists clenched as he left all the crew whispering about what would happen to him now, and his shirt still on the chair with an extremely panicked kwami trapped inside.

OOO

Adrien didn't stop walking until he was back in his room, only pausing to slam the door and let the sound reverberate through the house before he collapsed to his knees by the bed, anger burning through his body like hellfire. A low noise halfway between a sob and a scream scratched at his throat as he slammed both his fists down on the floor, not caring how much it hurt. How could he say those things? How could he just expect him to forget like that? _I know what he did!_ He growled as he fisted the bedsheets, which had since been seen to and laid back on his bed like they had never been anywhere else, and for some reason that made him even angrier. _Nobody would notice if I disappeared like that_ , he thought angrily as he tore the sheets away from the bed, ripping them into ribbons as he did. _Just like with her. Nobody questioned my father when she went missing, they just took his answer for granted. They didn't think that he was a murderer and he had wiped her from existence…_

Suddenly panicked, he dived under his bed and was relieved to see the box was still there, left untouched by any of the servants who had been in here to clean. He hugged it close to him as he pulled out her jewellery, her scarf, her photograph, her perfume, and rested it on the bed, each item in its own way a tiny part of her that he couldn't let go. Openly weeping now, he took out the scarf and held it to his nose, hoping that it still carried a little of her everyday warm scent. _Is this what she felt like?_ He wondered as it wrapped around his head, filling his vision with colour and stroking his face with its soft edges. He couldn't remember exactly. He closed his eyes and thought of what he did remember. Her smile, warm, bright and inviting, almost like his own but somehow bigger. Her laugh, he remembered she would laugh at anything even if it was completely silly or ridiculous but she was always sure to laugh with people and not at them. Her style, she was always dressed impeccably with not a hair out of place. She was the kind of woman who couldn't bear to kill spiders in the bathtub, the kind who sang along to anything on the radio and made her husband dance with her, the kind who would have done anything for her baby boy. And now his father wanted to take away everything he had of her. He wound the scarf tighter around his head and his tears blotted the fabric with damp patches. _Just try and let him take these away from me_ , he thought. _I'll fight him if I have to. He's not getting away with this_.

"I _hate_ you." He spat like he was daring his father to barge his way in and forcibly take the box from his grasp. "I'll hate you 'til the day I die for what you did to my mum. _You_ should be the dead one, not her."

 **"** **You should hate him."** The hypnotic voice from yesterday suddenly crooned, sounding like it was being whispered directly into his ear. Adrien jumped to his feet, looking wildly around and thrashing out his arms to get the voice away but it didn't work. **"** **After everything he did, your hatred is the only thing he should get from you. Why give him anything else?"**

"Chat Blanc?" Adrien stammered out as the voice felt like it was surrounding him. It was different from yesterday, its tone more soothing and gentle and it didn't seem to boom like it had before. Adrien could hear understanding in every word he said but then he remembered what Plagg had told him and he went for his ring. "I shouldn't be listening to you, Plagg said…"

 **"** **Wait!"** Chat Blanc sounded so desperate that it made Adrien pause, the ring only halfway up his finger. **"** **Just listen to me, just for one minute. I'm only trying to help you. If you don't like what I'm saying, you can take the ring off afterwards but please just let me talk first?"**

Adrien hesitated. He could feel every part of him screaming at him that this was a bad idea, that he should already have the ring off but there was something in that voice was making him stop. He did sound truly desperate, he had never heard anything that was evil beg before. Plagg had made him promise to take the ring off but if he listened first and then took it off, it wasn't technically breaking his promise, was it?

"Alright." He said finally, pushing the ring back to his knuckle as the voice gave a sigh. "But you have one minute and one minute only."

 **"** **Of course, Adrien. I won't waste your time."** Chat Blanc drawled, sounding genuinely thankful. Adrien almost gave it a smile but he corrected himself in time and crossed his arms.

"Go on, I'm listening now."

 **"** **Very well."** Chat Blanc purred as he loudly cleared his throat like he was about to make a big speech. **"** **Let me start by saying, that what your kwami told you about me was probably wrong. I've known Plagg since the creation of the ring and let's just say, after a few millennia of sharing the same small space, we don't exactly see eye to eye. I may come from a very dark place in the ring, it's darkness is a huge part of its power, but that means that one thing I know a great deal about is darkness and I can see a lot of it around you."**

"What do you mean?" Adrien turned his head suddenly, feeling like there was somebody behind him but when he looked, he could only see the expanse of his empty room.

 **"** **What I mean is, you are miserable. Your life is strictly controlled, full of work that you hate and your only friend is a magical being that nobody else knows or can know exists. Your only chance of freedom comes from being a superhero but t** **he love of your life and fellow superhero isn't interested in you. You have everything materials wise, but everyone you know puts you at a distance, even your own father. The only person who did love and care for you disappeared four years ago, now you've only just discovered she's been dead the whole time, and at the hands of the man who still controls your every waking moment. I would say with great certainty that you are miserable."**

Adrien bit down on his lip hard as he felt a knot tighten in his chest. There was no way he could deny the truth in the phantom's words; he truly was miserable and even though he had his double life as a superhero, he was still unhappy with his life. _Heck_ , he wondered _, if I hadn't been chosen to be Chat Noir, wouldn't I have given up long ago?_ Chat Blanc seemed to sense his hesitation and he gave a low rumbling purr like thunder.

 **"** **You see? You can't even attempt to deny it because I'm right. I can feel every ounce of your pain Adrien and I want to help you with it. All of your misery, all the pain you are feeling right now, has one source and that source is the man who calls himself your father.** ** _He's_** **the one who controls you,** ** _he's_** **the one that made you work,** ** _he's_** **the one who stopped you from going to school like you wanted, and** ** _he's_** **the one that took your mother away."**

"Yes. He did." Adrien growled as he looked down at the items scattered across the torn bedsheets. "He's the reason she's not here anymore."

 **"** **That's right."** Adrien could almost hear the smile in Chat Blanc's voice but he was past the point of caring. **"** **It's not fair that so much was taken from you, taken by** ** _him_** **. He brought you so much pain…isn't it only fair that he should be made to feel some in return?"**

"Yes!" Adrien snapped like a switch had been flicked inside him, igniting all the resentment he had built up over the years. "He should feel it! I want him to hurt, I want to hurt him like he hurt me, like he hurt mum!"

 **"** **I can help you with that."** Chat Blanc told him, his voice silkily smooth as Adrien could suddenly feel his presence all around him **. "I can give you the ring's full powers of destruction, I can give you the chance to hit back at your father, and take your revenge. All you need to do is let me transform you. When you become Chat Blanc, you'll be unstoppable and nothing will stand in your way."**

"How do I do it?" Adrien asked. The air in the room now felt thick with anticipation and he could almost sense Chat Blanc rubbing his hands together in glee.

 **"** **It's easy. It's just like turning into Chat Noir. You even still say 'claws out,' though you have to throw your arm upwards and say 'Destructive Claws Out.' There's nothing to i-"**

"Destructive Claws Out!" Adrien shouted before Chat Blanc even had time to finish. Suddenly, his body was wrapped in a white glow that started at his feet and seemed to slowly snake up his body, leaving behind a trail of white. Chat Blanc laughed loudly as Adrien remained in position, his face firmly set.

 **"** **You see? There's nothing to it! Now the world will see the true powers of the Black Cat Miraculous! And you will get your chance to pay your father back for all he did!"**

Adrien smiled at the thought, his face contorting into a dark smirk. Finally, after all this time, he would get the chance to avenge his mother and avenge himself. It was suddenly wiped from his face when he heard a loud rapping sound on the door and he turned his head to see Plagg burst through it, flying erratically towards him as he loudly panted.

"Adrien! I heard Chat Blanc's voice, what's going… Oh no." He halted in mid-air when he saw the white glow that had surrounded his charge and was picking up speed as it grew up his chest and onto his neck like ivy. "Adrien! What did I tell you about him? He'll only use you, you need to stop this now! Adrien!"

Adrien looked guiltily down at the floor, remembering the promise he had made to his kwami, but when he looked back up, Plagg froze at how suddenly hard his charge's expression was with no trace of the innocent boy he had known for the last three years.

"I'm sorry, Plagg. I didn't mean to break my promise." He mumbled softly as the light overwhelmed him, blinding Plagg's vision so all he could see was white. "But I have to do this. He killed my mum."

OOO

That night, along the top of one of the most important of Gabriel's offices, a lone figure strolled along the edge of the roof. His feet lapped over the edge of the concrete, threatening to plunge down the several stories to splat on the ground like a bug on a windshield but the figure knew he wouldn't fall. He was full of confidence, as he sauntered along, his eyes on the giant Agreste logo that adorned the side of the building like a large garish decoration. His tongue traced his lips gleefully at the thought of what he would do. It was time to start his campaign.

It was dark outside, so there was no moon to reveal him to the rest of the sleeping city. He had no intention of showing himself, just yet; he wanted everyone to stew for a while, in fear and apprehension. It put him on a high, making him feel like he'd become the underground king of this dazzling city. He hadn't felt this amazing in a long time; it was like all the weight of his burdens, his responsibilities and his woes had been lifted in one go, and now he felt free. He felt so light and carefree, he was tempted to spread his arms and see if he could fly but he made himself focus on his target. He had a mission to deal with.

He looked down at himself, still jumping a little at the sudden change in his appearance. His blond hair was in its usual messy style but now it was longer and even wilder, close to falling in front of his eyes and blocking his vision as he racked his hands through it like it was straw. His black domino mask that covered the top half of his face was now a blinding white and left the bottom half to show a wide mirthless smirk. His open mouth revealed a set of strong white teeth with very pronounced sharpened canines that he flicked his tongue over, feeling their bite on his own flesh. Two almond-shaped eyes with thin slits of pupils gleamed a topaz colour as they looked out over the scene. His armoured black leather suit that left nothing to the imagination was now also white and the golden bell at his Adam's Apple that acted as the pull for his long zipper down his front was now slightly larger. His belt tail stirred pensively beside him as it curled around one strong slender leg, that ended in a white boot tipped in silver with paw prints on the soles. Though they looked heavy, they enabled him to move silently across the rooftops undetected, something he was glad for as he didn't want his plans to be disturbed. Tonight was the night he would set the ball rolling and he didn't want anything to get in the way of that.

He held up his gloved hand, each finger ending in a razor-sharp claw twice as long as they normally were, and grinned, already filled with anticipation at what would happen. "Cataclysm!" His voice echoed in the cold air as he growled, feeling the power rush through him and up to his out-stretched hand where it gathered in a messy globe of acid green that swirled with other colours in a blur sickening enough to turn anyone's stomach. He had felt this a million times before but it had never been this intense, this powerful… there was so much magic building inside him, he wondered if he could destroy the whole building. _No, that would be unnecessary_ , he told himself. _Let's settle with a statement for now. We can cause chaos later_.

With a cry that rang through the night, he brought his hand slamming down onto the logo in front of him, the pulsing of the powerful magic too much for him to bear anymore. The effect was instantaneous. At once, the giant shining metal A turned into a crumbling hulk of reddish-brown rust, staining at the metal loops that bound it to the building as it fell apart like tissue. His eyes widened as it all went ungracefully tumbling to the ground, the red-orange color splaying across the road in front of the building like spilled blood. He stood up, his legs slightly shaking as he stared down at his gloves hands. _Did I really just do that?_ He thought.

 **"Yes, you did."** A voice echoed in the back of his skull. **"And you will do it many more times. I told you I could give you power and I never disappoint. Now you are free, free to go after Gabriel Agreste."**

"Yes." Adrien spoke aloud as he clenched his fists and walked to the edge, looking over the sparkling lights of Paris. This city was now his playground and he was going to play a long game indeed. "Can you feel that in the air Gabriel? It's called a wind of change and its name is Chat Blanc." He snarled angrily into the air, his lips curling as he bared his teeth, ready for a fight. "And I won't have any mercy on you in this game."

 _Oh Adrien... I kinda feel bad for this but the story is calling..._

 _Anyway, thank you guys so much for the reviews, they are amazing and some of the best ever!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hello again everyone! I'm honestly so excited for this chapter, this is one we've been building up to for a long time. All the credit for the second half goes to Yamina20, she wrote it and all I had to do was edit it all. We hope you like it and please leave a review! :)_

It had been a month, since that fateful day when the Agreste logo had fallen. Since that day, the attacks on the Agreste brand had been non-stop, becoming as frequent and regular as a heartbeat as every morning, something new would be destroyed. It could be anything from a billboard to the front of a shop selling Agreste clothes and jewellery and they were relentless, leaving only dust behind where the items used to be. At first, they had been publicly dismissed by a spokesperson for the fashion house who had called them 'childish pranks' and Gabriel had refused to pass comment on them, insisting that he would never stoop so low to give these people a response. However, as time had gone on and it became obvious that not only were they not going away, they were also getting closer and closer to the head of the company himself. They were just subtle things; a door to the head office found in pieces, an attack on a billboard close to the mansion, some of his designs stolen from the house and found tattered on the ground of one shop that had been targeted and had lost its entire shopfront.

Fear was palatable in the air that surrounded the throne and now Gabriel had taken to enforcing a lot of security around his buildings, the armed bodyguards lugging themselves around the offices like a group of gorillas. This was what Marinette was confronted with when she arrived at one of the top offices for her meeting with Gabriel Agreste. She had timidly handed over her pass, her hand shaking slightly as the bulky man at the door had almost seemed to sniff it before handing it back and waving her through. Now, she was being led down one of the longest whitest corridors she had ever seen, one that made her feel like she was in a hospital about to go in for an operation. She clutched her portfolio, a thick folder the width of two fingers that was stuffed with a rainforests worth of paper, and forced herself to breathe and calm down. She looked at her dress, a yellow one of her own design that had a wide collar, short sleeves and a long flowy skirt that could have belonged to a dancer's dress, and the bright colour made her smile a little. _Everything will be fine_ , she told herself. _What's the worst thing you can do?_

She instantly wished she hadn't thought that as her mind was flooded with all the possibilities of what could happen when she got in that office. Most of them were ridiculous and she knew it- _when could a meteor hit the office and how could it ever be my fault?_ -but it still made her stomach lurch in fear. In an attempt to distract herself, she let her eyes wander around the white space that was steadily closing in on her but there was nothing there to see-it was literally just white with not even a speck of grey dust to make it interesting. _Very blank for a fashion designer,_ she thought. If this was her office she would fill it with so much colour, people's eyes would ache when they walked in.

As a last resort, to save herself from a panic attack, she turned her attention to the woman who was directing her down the corridor. She wasn't tall but she made up for her height with the amount of intimidation she possessed; her eyes were hard as iron behind her glasses, her hair was swept back in a bun with not a single hair out of place and she carried her clipboard like it was a weapon she was willing to brandish if anyone dared oppose her. Her black heels clicked efficiently down the hallway and Marinette matched her breathing with the sound, finding it calmed her down almost instantly. It was then when she decided to try some small talk.

"So…erm, Ms Sancoeur… Does Mr Agreste see many designers like this?"

"Not usually." The woman answered crisply, her eyes darting back at the eager-looking girl. "But when he sees something special, he does like to bring young designers in. It's a testament to you that he wanted to see you personally. Often, he gets his other designers for these meetings but he specifically asked to see you in person."

"Really?" Marinette could feel herself going pink and she hugged her portfolio even tighter. She wasn't sure if the compliment made her feel better or worse. "Why did he want that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Mr Agreste is a mysterious man sometimes." She suddenly came to a stop in the corridor, almost causing Marinette to crash into her and drop all her papers. "This is his office. I'll escort you in." She gave a few short sharp knocks on the door and within seconds, it was opened and the head of another bodyguard peered out. He took one look at Ms Sancoeur and promptly ushered her in, not bothering to check either of their passes.

Marinette stepped into the office and at once she was struck by how different it was to the corridor outside. The walls in here were white but instead of being bare, they were covered from the floor to the ceiling with designs, the papers pinned flat against the wall like a huge mosaic. Three walls were decorated completely like this but the one behind Gabriel Agreste's desk was a giant window that let the sunlight in, filling the room with light that danced across the walls, and brought the colours out in each drawing. Some she recognised as being pinned on her own wall in magazine form and she wanted to reach out and touch them to make sure this was real. _If I had an office,_ she thought, her eyes wide in wonder. _It would look exactly like this._

"Mr Agreste," Ms Sancoeur's voice woke her from her amazement as she turned to face the desk and the thin man sitting behind it. "I have brought Miss Dupain-Cheng here for your appointment with you. I personally escorted her here, as you wished."

"Thank you, Nathalie. You may go and attend to your other duties now." Gabriel Agreste said and she gave a small nod before turning and leaving. Marinette didn't look around as she heard the door closing but she did flinch at the small thud. Now, she was left alone with her idol.

Gabriel Agreste looked up at her and gave the smallest of smiles, before he beckoned her into the seat before him. Marinette nervously perched on the edge of the white chair and offered her own tentative smile. The excitement that had been building in her over the past month had now tightened into a knot of terror in her stomach and when she looked into the ice blue eyes of the designer, it felt like it was about to implode. Every inch of the man spoke of total control, it was evident in every part of his appearance, from his pressed cream suit and perfectly-tied striped cravat to his slicked back hair that was slowly getting whiter. His skin was permanently etched with stern lines and when he folded his hands, she could see a slim silver band there. His gaze on her felt almost suffocating and when she moved to rest her portfolio in her lap, her hands were trembling.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng. It's a pleasure to meet you, at long last." He said, his voice rolling on her name like he was dragging it from the back of his mouth. Though he spoke softly, she could still feel a hint of sharpness underneath, and it almost made her flinch.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr Agreste." She said, holding out her hand for him to shake it but retreating when he made no movement towards her. "It's truly an honour to be here and meet someone like you."

He gave another thin smile, his lips twitching like an electric shock had just passed through him. "You flatter me, my dear," He said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "And please, call me Gabriel. I do not wish for us to be so formal."

"Oh…OK," Marinette smiled at him, feeling a little more at ease. "Then please call me Marinette… Gabriel." The name seemed foreign coming from her tongue but he seemed to think nothing of it as he looked down at the folder in her lap.

"I see you brought your portfolio like I asked." He nodded in approval at the size of it before reaching out his hand. "May I?"

"Oh, of course!" Marinette hastily handed it over to him, praying that her hands wouldn't buckle and drop the heavy thing onto his arm and break it. She took a worried breath as he took it with one hand but he looked unaffected by the weight of it, carrying it easily with one hand before resting it gently on the desk in front of him, and opening it to the first set of designs. Time seemed to stretch as he stared long and hard at the pages and pages she had gathered, and Marinette had to remind herself to breathe as she unconsciously held her lungs to ransom each time he turned a page. The room fell into a deafening silence as he made no noise, only the way his eyes were flickering over the drawings, betraying that he was even concentrating. Finally, he reached the end of the folder and he closed it firmly with a loud thud that Marinette was certain restarted her heart.

"Well, Marinette," He started, his words echoing off the walls. "I was impressed by the work I'd previously seen from you but this… this is extraordinary. All these designs are what I would expect from someone with far more experience and a great deal of training. You really are quite a find." He folded his hands together and brought them under his chin as he trailed his eyes up to hers again. "A true diamond in the rough, as some would say."

"Really? Thank you!" Marinette beamed at him just as he looked up. A burst of sudden sunlight streamed into the room, catching her and illuminating her skin as she sat there. It caught Gabriel completely unawares and when he looked back at the girl, really looked at her, he found the sight before him was flawless. She looked like a masterpiece with flawless white skin that could have been carved from marble, blue eyes that seemed to contain the essence of the purest summer sky and her raven hair caught the sun outside, creating a blue sheen in the curl of her pigtails. She was like a piece of art but her glowing smile radiated such an energy, he knew her true beauty could never be captured by a canvas. You needed to be in her presence to truly understand what made her stunning and he found himself staring at her like he hadn't stared for years. She continued to glow with his compliment and he found himself slowly running his tongue over his dry lips. He prided himself as being a collector of beautiful things and he knew this girl was something he had to have.

"I mean every word." He continued, watching her as her dazzling smile only seemed to brighten. "You are a real talent and this portfolio only confirms what I had planned." This was a lie; he had planned to send the girl off to some branch of his company as he needed a fresh designer but upon seeing her, he couldn't let her go so far away from him. He needed to see her, needed that beauty around him to satisfy his eyes. "Marinette, I want you to be a partner in my company."

"What?!" Marinette yelped, almost jumping from her seat as she stared wide-eyed at the man whose face was still impossibly calm for someone who had just turned her world upside down.

"Are you serious?"

"I am, my dear." He answered calmly. "What do you think?"

Had he really just said that? It all felt like some strange dream to her as she sat there like she was frozen to the chair. Only the feeling of her nails as they scraped into her palm told her this was real and as Gabriel's eyes surveyed her, she could feel a bubble of panic rising in her chest. This was the last thing she had expected and wasn't what she wanted. It took her what felt like forever to find her voice but when she did, she was surprised at how calm and professional she sounded.

"I'm very honoured that you think I'm worthy of such a high position," She told him. "But I'm afraid I have to refuse. This position is not what I want from my career, I want to have my own fashion line with my name on it instead of working for someone else. It may take me a while and I know everyone says it's impossible but I'll make it. I'm really very sorry…" Her voice tailed off a little when she saw the shock in his expression. "But this just isn't right for me."

Now, it was Gabriel's turn to stare wide-eyed as Marinette gathered her portfolio back into her arms and stood up from the chair shakily. In all his years as an esteemed designer, nobody had ever said no to him. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind that anyone could say no to him. Did she not understand what he was offering her? He saw her taking a step back from the desk and it made him want her even more.

"Marinette, please," He said softly, his tone halfway between begging and commanding. "I'm sure if we discussed this, you would be more favourable."

"I'm sorry but there is nothing to discuss." Marinette dipped her head in a little bow as she walked back to the door. "Thank you very much for the opportunity though. I'll see myself out."

The door creaked and then she was gone, walking as quickly as her legs would allow as she bit down hard on her lip to stop herself from squealing. Had she really done that? Turned down _the_ Gabriel Agreste? _You had to,_ she told herself calmly as she burst back out into the fresh air away from the clinically cold corridor. _It's the best thing for your future._ She gave a small smile that she hid behind her portfolio and started walking away from the offices. The sun was still bright in the sky but she knew it wouldn't be long before dark. _I hope Tikki won't worry,_ she thought, _I hated not being able to bring her._ It was Chat Noir's night to patrol anyway, they had already agreed it via the old emails they still used. Soothing her worries away, she walked back towards the centre of the city, trying to get all thoughts of Gabriel Agreste from her mind.

Meanwhile, in his office, Gabriel hadn't moved from his desk. His mind was still full to the brim of thoughts of Marinette; he couldn't shake her beauty away. And she'd had the nerve to turn him down? Nobody had ever done that before and those who had tried had suffered the consequences. He clenched his hands into fists as he looked back towards the door where she had made her exit. _I don't care what I have to do,_ he thought as he pulled his computer screen over and vigorously began typing. _That girl will be mine. Mark my words, Marinette Dupain-Cheng will be mine, and mine alone._

OOO

That night, the darkness swooped in quickly, something Chat Blanc was grateful for as he slunk from the gardens of the mansion and out over the high wall. He looked back in glee at the giant window into his father's office; from here the cat had an excellent view of watching his father pace about and pulling at his hair, completely losing his composure after the mass Skype meeting with the company's CEO he had just been heading. All of his employees wanted an answer from the man about these attacks; they wanted to know if they would be safe, but Gabriel couldn't give them an answer, and it was making them flee like rats from a sinking ship. He smirked as he set his paws pounding into the night. Yes, he was making the man who made him suffer in that fancy cage go rabid with anger and loss and he was enjoying every minute of his payback.

With one last glance in the direction of the mansion, he turned, then leaped from the roof, and headed in the direction of the Eiffel Tower. It didn't take him long to find his next prey and when he had finished, he decided to sit back and relax whilst the police scurried over. His smirk widened into a Cheshire grin, as he watched the lights flash around it, making the site of his latest bit of demolition glow with red and blue. A set of malls ten blocks from the Louvre, had a couple stores that had Agreste brand items that were up for sale, along with some posters of his old civilian self. _I've taken him down quite a few pegs,_ he chuckled to himself. _It won't be long now before I end the game, I wonder what expression he'll show me next_. It was fun to watch all the ants run around the maze of the city, when disturbed by the slightest provocation. He had made sure to take out the cameras before even gracing the place with his presence. At first, he had found it unnerving, destroying something like a criminal, but now it was child's play to him.

This had become normal to him now; every night he would shout for his Destructive Claws to come out and he would go to find something new to destroy. It was easier to manage on the nights he had patrol, as he was always wary of Ladybug coming across him, and forcing him to fight her. She was still his partner after all and the only thing he had that was even close to a friend, the last thing he wanted was to have to hurt her. They arranged patrols the same way they had when they had first started as superheroes, through an old email account that was only used to contact the other. There had been less akumas in the past month so they hadn't had many opportunities to meet in person and not once had either of them brought up that day with Dark Desires. He knew she could tell something had changed about him, he could see it in the way she looked at him with new sympathetic eyes and there was a part of him that wanted to tell her everything the way he had before, but he knew that was impossible. He didn't want anyone's pity, least of all hers.

After watching the lights for a few moments, Chat Blanc eventually crept away, and down a building into a dark alleyway where he hid one of his many bags of clothes in the vast city. He had hidden them around when the nights had gotten colder, so he could be prepared for anything. It was one thing travelling around as Chat Blanc but he couldn't do it all night, having so much power at his fingers was just too draining. He undid his transformation, gasping a little at the cold night air hitting his skin. He quickly yanked open the bag and pulled an oversize black hoodie over himself, one that darkened his features with shadows and concealed his face. Adrien's true green eyes scanned the alley once more as he pulled up the hood, hunched over, and walked away carrying his bag. As he did so, a small tired head poked out from his collar and glared up at him.

"Cheeeeeese," came the incessant complaint from the tiny creature, causing Adrien to groan as he delved into his bag for his emergency supplies. "I need it nowwwww!"

"Here. Don't leave a trail of rind crumbs this time."

The boy pulled out a small block of Camembert and Plagg hungrily dived on it, devouring it in large bites that looked like it almost dislocated his jaw. The kwami was beginning to get more and more annoying with his constant nagging and demands for cheese that only heightened after he turned into Chat Noir like normal. Adrien hadn't thought he could get more annoying but somehow, he had. Every evening the little black god would be almost begging him not to transform into Chat Blanc and every evening, he would ignore him. They had argued over it a lot and also over Plagg's now constant demands for cheese. Adrien just saw it as irritating but what he couldn't see was how Plagg was getting weaker more quickly. He wasn't the only one who was being drained.

Once the cheese was gone, Adrien slung the bag over his shoulder and they turned a corner leading out of the allies, heading towards Parc Monceau not far from his place. He found himself on a wide path next to the Seine, with black railings lining the path in case any idiots wanted to take a dip. Plagg hid himself inside Adrien's hood, curling up in the giant folds of the fabric. There weren't many people out at this time of night but it paid to be careful. Adrien huddled further into the depths of the soft material and sighed deeply. He liked it at this time where he could just wander around the city, far away from any of the problems in his life. Out here, he was just another youth in a hoodie and that was something he was completely fine with.

Suddenly, there was the sound of cloth tearing and Adrien froze as a shriek that broke through the wall of quiet that surrounded him. He straightened up and looked ahead, moving quickly forwards through the murky black as he heard another shriek that was even louder. He turned a corner and stopped, his back flat against the wall. About twenty feet from where he stood were four men hunched over a smaller figure in a yellow dress. He couldn't see her that well since their bodies blocked most of his view of her, but he could tell that she was cowering away from the leering figures with her back pressed against the railings. Quietly, he put down his bag, making his way over to the figures, keeping to the darkness and avoiding the light from the lamp posts.

"Stop it! Let me go!" A female voice cried out as she made to run but one of the men grabbed her arm and slammed her back on the railings, making her wince.

"A little thing like you isn't go- umph!" A gruff voice groaned as a small dainty foot was slammed into his stomach. The girl tried to wriggle free of his grasp but even when he was in pain, he kept hold of her arm.

"Boy, she's got some spunk, I like 'em when they is feisty." One of them leered, smacking his lips together loudly in a way that made Adrien feel sick.

"Shut up, Gustav! You little bitch, now you've done it!" There was the smack and the woman's head reeled back from the impact of the man's hand as the gruff voice railed at her. "I'll toss you in the Seine once we're done with you!"

"Make sure to save some for us, Claude. You're not the only one who wants a bit of this sweet treat." The third guy slurred out, sounding so drunk it was unclear how he was still standing. The fourth stood by quietly, watching the whole exchange, looking completely bored.

"No!" the girl cried as they all got closer. Something seemed to snap inside her as she kicked the man called Claude in the crotch, then formed her small hands into tiny fists, and socked Gustav in the chin on her right. The offender's head surprisingly flew back from the impact, sending him crashing to the ground in a knockout worthy of any boxer. The third man was too intoxicated to do anything but watch as his friends were being taken out by the tiny girl before him. The fourth man took that as his cue to step in, while the girl fought off Gustav with a surprising strength for her tiny frame, slamming her tiny fists and feet into his head and body. The fourth guy circled her like a wary predator, walking past Claude, who was gasping for breath on the ground, keeping himself from crying in pain. As Gustav was finally knocked back enough, she saw her next aggressor and flew a fist at him, he caught it, then proceeded to twist her arm behind her. She used the movement to flip and knock the guy upside the head with her feet legs, freeing her hand. _She's lucky that worked,_ Adrien thought.

Adrien had come up from behind the third man, who reeked of every form of alcohol known to man, and grabbed his shoulder, swinging his fist around to meet his temple with a loud crack. When the large body crumpled to the ground, Claude who'd just barely recovered, swung at him, his punch so weak it was too easy for Adrien to dodge.

"The fuck?! This is our business, stay out of it you little fucker!" The one called Claude growled out, looking a lot more sober after the cheap shot to his family jewels.

"You made it my business by doing this in front of me." the boy growled out.

"Claude, I wouldn't if I were you…" Warned the fourth aggressor as he backed away.

"Shut up Pierre, I eat scrawny shits like this one for breakfast! It still looks like the little whore is giving you trouble." He sneered. He then heard a noise from behind him and turned back, realizing too late that he'd let his attention stray too long. Adrien smirked at him before he kicked the guy in the ribs, causing the man's body to fly against a tree. His head cracked painfully against the firm wood and slowly his body dropped to the ground in a heap. When the boy looked over he saw the other two men running off down the path, like the hounds of Hades were after them.

"Good fucking riddance." Adrien spat before his gaze swung over towards the girl. She had a split lip, and a bruise was forming under her left eye but apart from that and her ruined dress, she looked fine. She faced him with her fists balled up, placed in front of her body, taking fighting stance. _I've never seen such fiery eyes unless they were from My Lady,_ he thought, fairly impressed as he rose his arms to show he wasn't a threat. Seeing it was her rescuer, she lowered them, and tried to get a better look at him. He pulled the hood further over his head, to obscure his face from her penetrating gaze. Seeing how he shied away, she looked down embarrassed and saw his knuckles were starting to turn red.

"Are you alright, monsieur?"

He looked back at her astonished. _She almost got raped and she's asking me how I am? She should be worrying about herself!_

"I'm fine." he told her honestly. He was used to throwing punches like that and compared to akumas, those guys had been a breeze, but he couldn't tell her that.

"Are you sure?" She gently replied.

"Yes... mademoiselle?" He wasn't sure how to address her-he couldn't see a ring but still…

"I'm glad," She sighed out. She attempted to smile but her damaged lip made her wince. "Thank you. I was just coming back from a meeting and those guys jumped me. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been there."

"It's nothing. You should get home and tend to those." Adrien pointed towards his lip before he turned to go pick up his bag where he'd left it and began to walk away. The young woman picked up her purse and warily looked around the path before she followed him while taking out her phone. They walked for a bit before he realized she was still following him. He tried walking faster to shake her off but she just picked up her pace, keeping up with him easily. He was about to break into a run when she gently grabbed the back of his hoodie and forced him to a stop. Slowly, he turned his head, about to snap at her to leave him alone but the words wouldn't come. They were under the light of a lamp post so he could finally see her clearly and to say he was stunned was an understatement.

She had black hair that shone blue even under the poor lighting that was presently a mess from the skirmish but still managed to look beautiful in long waves around her shoulders, half still snared in a messy ponytail. Her skin had a light porcelain glow that was blemished only by light freckles dusted across her nose and cheeks with a slight pink blush stealing across her face. The bruise that was forming on her left eye did nothing to diminish her glow, if anything it made her seem more real than ethereal. Long black lashes framed the most beautiful bluebell eyes he'd ever seen, the bruise thankfully not swollen enough to rob him of the sight of their colour.

Those seem to look a little familiar but he shook the thought away, telling himself he was being ridiculous. He noticed their slight tilt, showing she had an Asian heritage. Her lips were a lovely pink, slightly pouted and partly open as the couple stared at each other, lost in a world that didn't seem to stretch beyond the little pool of light they stood in.

He then noticed the state of her clothes and turned his head away, trying to give her some privacy. A gentleman never stares at a woman in her moment of weakness, even if she's beautiful. He knew if his hood wasn't pulled up, she would have seen his face and ears flame from embarrassment. She looked down, suddenly noticing the damage done to her clothes and her face began to turn red from shame, the corners of her eyes gathered tears in them. Without realizing, she dropped her phone and proceeded to turned to wrap her arms around herself, hugging her body tightly like she was afraid she might fall apart. She tried pulling up the dress to cover her exposed bra, but it was to no avail. Suddenly, she felt a jacket placed over her head and shoulders. She took the garment and proceeded to put her arms through the large covering, the sleeves ending an inch past her fingertips and the bottom of it hitting her at two inches above her knees.

"Here, you can keep this." Adrien stated closing his bag. He then continued to walk away.

"Thank you, again," she called out. He stopped, out of the light of the lamppost and stared at her. She picked up her discarded phone and stepped out from under the light towards him.

"You didn't have to get involved, you could've walked away and pretended not to see anything. I appreciate that you didn't."

"Shouldn't you call the police or a friend?" The woman shook her head.

"The cops here are dirty, even if I called to file a report, these guys wouldn't even get a slap on the wrist. My best friend is on a trip for work with her boyfriend, they won't be back for another week or so, they were meant to be back already but they got held up. Before you ask, my parents are out of the country visiting relatives, so there's no one else. I hate to trouble you, especially when you've helped me so much already, but I don't feel comfortable walking home by myself at the moment. Could you escort me to my parent's bakery, please?"

Adrien walked up to the young woman, trying to keep his inner Chat from showing with each step, so he wouldn't intimidate her. He bent closer to her small round face, peering at her bright blue eyes, that gazed at him questioningly. They made him feel both strangely nervous and excited. _This is my chance to talk to someone,_ he thought, _she's looks close to my age as well and she seems nice. I just hope I don't screw this up._

He straightened his back, while looking at the slightly battered woman in his jacket, giving her a nod. She smiles at him a little more, ignoring the pain from her lip.

"Of course,... mademoiselle...?" He asked her.

"Oh, Marinette... and you are?"

"I'd rather not say, just a gentleman that was passing by." He answered hastily. _I don't want her freaking out at me_ , he thought with a shudder. _Or worse… fangirling_.

"That's rather unfair, don't you think?" She pouted at him whilst crossing her arms in a way that he suddenly thought was adorable. "I gave you my name but I don't get to know the name of my rescuer?"

 _Touché,_ he thought.

"How about a nick-name? Would that be alright, Marinette?" He felt odd when he spoke her name. It felt like he was saying an endearment rather than an actual name.

"I suppose," She mumbled, her response barely audible. She took a few steps back and regarded him for a moment before snapping her fingers. "How about Chatman?"

"What the…Why that name?" he sputtered. If she could see his features clearly, she would've seen his face screwed in a look of utter disgust.

"Did you forget you're wearing black combat boots, black faded jeans and a black hoodie and you just leapt in to save a stranger? All you're missing is a tail, ears, cape, and mask to complete the look, along with some puns. Plus, Chat Noir is already taken." She said while ticking off the various items on her fingers. Adrien heard Plagg snicker quietly next to his ear inside the hoodie. He'd forgotten the little kwami was still in there. Oh, he knew the little bottomless cheese pit was never gonna let him live this one down.

"Chatman sounds like a bad American knock-off." He grumbled.

"Alright, how about Shadow?"

"Better. I can live with that." _Anything but Chatman,_ he thought.

"Okay then, just guide me to where your house is, and I'll walk with you." He offered her his arm like they were going to a ball before wincing slightly when he realised what he had done. _Shit, I'm going to look like such a weirdo…_ He was used to Ladybug's rebuffing him, so he was surprised when she smiled and put her petite hand on his sleeve.

They walked together out of Parc Monceau in companionable silence. Adrien was thankful the area was mostly quiet, he wasn't sure he wanted to be seen out with a pretty young girl on his arm. People would remember that. Then again, this was surprisingly nice; it'd been a long time since he had an actual conversation with another being that wasn't the floating little god or a photographer and those were usually about work anyway. Just being happy with somebody's company wasn't something he was used to but if it was always this nice, he figured he could easily get used to it.

"Marinette, what were you doing in the park, in the middle of the night by yourself anyway? This place is dangerous." He asked her, trying to sound gruff but failing miserably.

"I'd had a meeting and I didn't think it would get dark so quickly. I didn't want to be out this late but that's how it happened. And besides, I can protect myself." She shrugged and he bristled with annoyance. _Did nothing of what just happened sink into that pretty little head of hers?_

"Don't women normally carry pepper spray or something along those lines for predators? You obviously need it." He stated. When he looked down at her and saw the death glare she was giving him, he gulped. _Oops. Am I going to end up in the Seine now?_

"Excuse me, but did you not notice that out of the four men there, I was able to take on at least one of them and hold off two of the others by myself?!" She snapped, sounding completely miffed. "If there had just been two of them, I could've handled it. I normally can because that's what normally happens, when I run into men like that. So, pepper spray has not been something I've ever needed to use." She bit her lip hard and turned her face away from him. "Usually, I would have had somebody to walk with me but they're all away at the moment…so I'm on my own."

"Okay, that makes sense, though I highly recommend you invest in some pepper spray or a taser," Shadow nodded in sympathy as he gave his advice. Being alone was one thing he could identify with. For a few moments they walked along in silence, passing from one pool of lamplight to another as he tried to think of something to say. "So this meeting… what was it about?"

"I don't want to talk about it." She whispered. Her face darkened but quickly she seemed to shake it off, turned her head and gave him a small warm smile. "Let's just say I had to turn something down and I feel kinda bad for it. It's probably why I'm not in my right state of mind."

"Alright, I won't ask." He said, not wanting to sound nosy. "Do you mind telling me what it is you do? You mentioned something about your parents having a bakery."

"Sure," she brightened. "I work there part-time at the moment but what I really want to be is a fashion designer. It's been my dream since I was a kid. I've always drawn designs, I had a portfolio with me but those guys took it from me and threw it in the river. They're lucky I have copies." She growled in a way that made him chuckle before she went on. "I'm studying fashion right now at college, I haven't finished yet but I honestly love it so much, it's amazing because we do so much practical work. I want to have my own fashion business one day with my own line, that would be brilliant…"

 _Wow, she's like a little ray of sunshine, so bubbly and cute..._ He smiled as she happily babbled on, enjoying the sound of her sunny voice and the feel of her arm on his. He was content just to let it wash over him and he was in such a daze that he didn't notice she was talking to him until she gently tugged on his arm.

"Shadow?"

"Yes, Marinette?"

"We're here."

"Already?"

He looked up in surprise at the tall white building in front of him and looked around sharply. He had been so dazed, he hadn't even noticed that they had left the park far behind them and were now on the corner of what would have been a busy street. Now in the dead of the night, it was almost eerily quiet with only the occasional car zooming past to break the silence. He looked back up at the building and saw a gold sign with 'The Dupain-Cheng Bakery' written across it in swirling letters. Marinette slid her arm from his grip to go and unlock the door, he found himself almost whimpering at the loss of contact. His arm felt almost bare and cold now without her warmth there and he was definitely disappointed that they had reached their destination so soon. He almost wished she lived on the other side of Paris, just so he could have walked further with her.

"Shadow?" He heard Marinette say his new nickname tentatively and he snapped his head back to look at her again. She was standing with one foot in the doorway, looking back at him like she too, didn't want to leave quite yet. "Thank you. I know I've said it a lot but I really mean it. There aren't many people out there with souls as good as yours."

Her words, along with the stunning smile she gave him, were enough to send his head spinning. Did she really think that of him? He gave what felt like his first genuine smile in ages and shrugged his shoulders. "Really, it was nothing. I'm glad I was a help to you. You should really get that pepper spray, though."

"You think so? Even after what I showed you?" She grinned teasingly at him and he found himself returning it fully and warmly.

"Even with that. You never know when you'll need a back-up." He said. "When I come by tomorrow, I expect you to have ordered some."

"Oh? So you're coming back?" Marinette replied as she leaned against the doorway, a small smile on her face as her cheeks flushed pink.

"Of course." Adrien stepped forwards so they were closer and, in doing so, gave her the tiniest of glimpses of his face. "A gentleman can't leave a young lady like that, in this city. I wouldn't want you to feel…alone."

Marinette's features softened at the tone of his voice, it made her want to reach over and stroke the top of his hoodie. The feeling of his arm with hers was still tingling on her skin and she was surprised she could still talk. "Alright then," She managed as she stepped back into the doorway. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"You will. I'll try not to keep you waiting." Shadow gave her one last grin before he slowly dipped his head and reached for her hand. Before she had even registered it, he had dropped one soft kiss onto her knuckles, that were glowing pink after landing so many punches, and was gone, walking away from the bakery back towards the park with his head bowed and his hands buried in his pockets. She could feel her cheeks burning up like she had a fever, she brought the back of her hand up to touch it as loud crashing sounds started up behind her, indicating Tikki had heard her come in and was furious about how late she was.

"Marinette!" The tiny kwami yelled at the top of her lungs as she flew in front of the transfixed girl. "Do you know what time it is? I've been worried sick!" She then gasped when she saw what state Marinette was in and started to bombard her with questions. "What happened to you? Why is your dress all ripped? Were you attacked? I knew I should have come with you, security be damned…"

"It's all right Tikki, I'm fine." Marinette reassured her, stopping the fairy in mid-flow. "I was fine, this guy helped me out. He gave me his jacket, see?"

She gestured to the garment that was hanging off her like a bedsheet and Tikki eyed it suspiciously. "So, who was this guy?" She asked, looking behind her in the direction Marinette was still staring despite there being no one in sight. "Did you know him?"

Marinette smiled softly as her finger caressed the cuff of the jacket. "I don't know who he was," She told her honestly. "I don't know anything about him really. But," She turned away from Tikki as she closed the bakery door behind her, shutting out the rest of the night as she flicked on the light. "I hope to find out more."


	6. Chapter 6

The next day Marinette found herself waiting for Shadow to reappear. She didn't have much to do that day aside from the regular chores she had to do around the bakery whilst it was closed. As she went around polishing the equipment and mopping the floors so they shone like they were covered in a thin layer of ice, her mind wandered to the mysterious young man in black who had saved her the night before. She kept trying to think of what he had looked like, but in the dark with his hood over his head, it had been difficult for her to see his face. She could have only caught split seconds of seeing his face in full and she felt frustrated that she hadn't been more observant, even though she knew her mind had been all over the place after being attacked. He had helped with that, his very presence making her calm down, and him letting her go on about her designing had helped as well. She knew barely anything about him, not even his real name but he had made her feel safe and that made her feel almost desperate to see him again, even if it was just to thank him again for what he did.

She had tried working on her designs to stop herself dwelling on him constantly, but had abandoned it in disgust after rubbing out a new design for a skirt for the eighth time. There were no new messages from Alya and Nino, who were still held up abroad, and her only new emails were all from Gabriel Agreste which she decided to ignore. Instead, she found herself at her window, staring out over the park eagerly watching the trees like he would emerge from them at any moment.

For some reason, she had dressed up in some of her nicer clothes, maybe because remembering how he had seen her last with her dress all ripped up made her want to prove to him she could look nice as well. She put on her best pair of jeans that had no tears in them and a light pink floaty blouse with little off-the-shoulder sleeves. She even put a thin layer of make-up on, successfully hiding the bruising near her eye, she also applied a special balm to her lips mindful of the split, though she kept her hair in her preferred pigtails. However, the day dragged on with no sign of him, as the sun began to dip and the shadows of the trees in the park began to stretch over the road towards the bakery like grabbing fingers, she started to lose hope of him turning up at all. _Maybe he was just busy_ , she tried to tell herself, but she couldn't help the sinking feeling in her gut.

It wasn't until long after nightfall, when the sky was black and cloudless like a never-ending lump of slate and she was thinking of going to bed when she heard a light tapping on the front door. Her heart jumped erratically at the sound and she almost ran to open it but she managed to compose herself in time and walked the last few steps to the door. She opened it to see his black-clad figure standing on the step and she fixed him with a glare.

"You took your time." She greeted him coldly. "I've been waiting all day."

"Oh, really? Just for me?" She could hear the grin in his words and it made her cheeks flare redder than her Ladybug mask when she realised what she had admitted to. "I'm touched. But I'm sorry I kept you waiting," He then said, sounding genuine. "Daytime isn't really a good time for me to go out. Night is the only time I have any freedom at all."

"Oh. I'm sorry about that." Marinette then said, feeling a little guilty now as she stood aside to let him in. "Do you have a time-consuming job or something?"

"You could put it like that." He answered with a grimace, keeping his head down so she wouldn't see it. Time-consuming was an understatement when it came to that day; he had been woken up extremely early before the sun had even risen and his day had been filled with shoot after shoot so, he felt like he didn't even have time to breathe before he was being pushed into another pair of clothes and another pose in front of another camera. His room had also been searched again; ever since that day where his father had taken his mother's locket, his room had been subjected to weekly searches that were often just sprung on him at random points to try and catch him red handed. The only reason he still had the box of his mother's things was because he kept moving them to different hiding places around the mansion every few days. "Have you got the pepper spray?"

"Right here." Marinette smiled as she pointed over to the front desk of the bakery where a little black spray canister stood. Adrien went over to pick it up and examined it closely. It was small and easily able to fit in the palm of his hand yet he knew the spray inside would undoubtedly stop any attacks like the one last night happening again. He put it down and firmly nodded, making Marinette's face light up in another bigger smile.

"It's good." He said simply, putting it back down.

"Thanks." Marinette replied like it wasn't a big deal. She would never have admitted she had specially paid for one-day delivery just to ensure it got to the bakery as quickly as possible. "I'll make sure I have it with me the next time I'm out late."

"Good idea." He said, turned back to face her but still making sure his face was hidden. Now that he had seen she had the pepper spray, his excuse for coming back around again, he now had no idea what to say. What did people normally talk about? He wracked his brain for a minute as silence descended on them both, before he tentatively tried a question. "That meeting yesterday… do those happen often?"

"Not really." She answered, going to sit down on one of the small tables inside the bakery and gesturing for him to take the one opposite. He did so a little reluctantly, making sure he slouched back in the chair but not before she caught a glimpse of a tuft of blond hair. "That was the first one I'd had and I'm sure it's the last as well."

"I see." Shadow looked up a little and she could hear some sympathy in his voice. "I'm guessing it didn't go too well."

"You could say that." She nodded, signalling that this conversation was over. The last thing she wanted to talk about was that meeting, so she changed tack. "What were you doing out so late last night? Was that to do with your time-consuming job?"

He chuckled. "Sort of." It didn't feel like a lie; being Chat Blanc was like having a job after all. He didn't move to elaborate and Marinette frowned slightly.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?"

"I never usually have anyone to talk with." He admitted, saddened by the thought. "I'm not much of a sociable person."

"Well, maybe I can help you with that." Marinette suggested, offering him a small smile. "It's really the least I can do after all you've done for me. It really is easy, it's just asking people questions and things to keep up a conversation. For example, do you prefer sweet things or savoury?"

"Sweet." He answered with no hesitation. It was an easy choice for him; whilst Plagg loved his cheese, Adrien had a raging sweet tooth that was never satisfied. His mother had used to buy sweets for him that they would share, him using all his wiles to get the lion's share, but when he had started modelling, his father had put him on a strict diet with all sweet treats permanently banned. He couldn't remember the last time he had had something like a cake or a biscuit and the very thought made his mouth water.

"Really? That's awesome, would you like something? We are in a bakery after all." Marinette asked excitedly and when he nodded dumbly, she sprang from her seat and raced towards the back of the shop. She slipped into the darkness and after a long series of clattering and quiet cursing, she emerged with a large silver tray laden with pastries. Adrien's eyes went wide at the sight. He didn't think he'd ever seen so much sugar in his life.

"I'm sorry, this is all we have," Marinette started apologetically whilst he stared up at her in disbelief. She had gotten him this feast and she was _sorry_? "But this is a lot of what we serve so there should be something here that you'll like. There's croissants, we do plain, cream and then chocolate ones, cupcakes, cream buns, Danish pastries, macaroons those are some of my favourites, gingerbread… So, what would you like?"

"All of it." He answered before he realised what he said and she giggled as she saw a red blush creeping from underneath the hood. "Sorry, I just…"

"You can have it all if you want." She told him watching how he jerked his head up to stare at her. "These are all leftovers, nobody's going to want them so please, have as much as you want. They do say food can stimulate conversation."

"They sound like a bunch of wankers." He grumbled, making her laugh as she put the tray down and he grabbed the nearest pastry to him, a miniature fruit tart with custard, glazed raspberries and a drizzle of sugary sweet raspberry syrup. He took one bite into the thin crumbly pastry shell and had to supress a moan. It tasted of bliss and comfort and it took all his effort not to cram the entire thing into his mouth. Ruby red juices oozed from the corners of his mouth, making him look like a vampire before he licked them up. He finished the tart before he looked back at Marinette, wary of taking another pastry for fear she would suddenly revoke her offer. She had taken an almond cupcake as she watched him eat and when she noticed him staring at her, she waved a hand over the platter with a smile, encouraging him to eat more. He didn't need telling twice.

Peaceful silence reigned over the room as the pair relaxed in each other's company. Shadow ploughing through the tray like he had never seen food before in his life or never would again, and Marinette picking at her own pastries as she watched him, happy that he was happy. The sound of his contented chewing only grew louder and it made her giggle a little bit. The way he was practically slamming the food into his mouth was just too funny and when he heard her, he looked up and the ring of powdered sugar that had formed around his lips like a halo made her sputter as she tried to contain herself.

"What?" He tried to huff at her, meaning to sound cross but the harshness of the word was taken from him when he looked up at her. In the flood of moonlight that had silently invaded the bakery, her skin looked like shimmering pearl and her eyes were shining with mirth in a way that was mesmerising. Her cheeks were flushed from all her laughter and as she went to take a bite of a strawberry macaroon, he noted how her lips were the same shade of rosy pink as the delicate pastry. A small blob of pink cream had caught on the corners of those lips and he suddenly had the urge to lean over the table and lick it off, taste her to see if she was as sweet as the pastries before him. Instead, he loudly coughed and pointed to his own mouth to make her aware of it, watching her tongue poke out and sweep it away with a shiver.

"Sorry, I don't mean to make fun of you, it's just… I've never seen someone wolf down our food like that," She said, gesturing down to the tray that was now almost empty and gleaming. "You must be a real fan."

"I am now, but this is my first time here or in a bakery at all really," He said, giving a small sad smile as his eyes travelled around the room. "I don't get many sweets things at home now, I haven't for a long while, so this is…nice. Really nice."

He gave a dry chuckle, so short it sounded like a single music note, and Marinette felt her heart sink as he dipped his head further to stare solemnly into his lap. For that one fleeting moment, he had opened up the tiniest bit, and he had given her a hint of how truly damaged he was, she found she wanted him to open up more. Yesterday, he had been so prickly and seemingly eager to be rid of her but now she saw why; he wasn't used to people and was trying to shut himself away. This was only proved to her when she slid her hand across the table to rest on his and he flinched away from her touch like a spider had walked over his hand.

"That's…something I'd rather not talk about either." He said softly in a voice cracked with sorrow and she nodded as she went to take his hand again. This time, he let her take it, and the warmth that radiated from her was soothing as it passed into his cold fingers.

"That's OK, I'm not going to force you." She told him, her thumb tracing circles onto his hand as she warmed up his stony skin. "We don't even have to talk if you don't want to."

"No. I want to talk with you." He said, lifting his head to look back up at her again. She also raised her head and, in doing so, her eyes met his. She looked into his eyes and felt floored; they were the deepest shade of green she had ever seen, a green she thought previously wasn't possible for human eyes. He quickly looked away again but she could still see them, like their intense colour had burned itself into her retinas. He started to talk again and it took her a moment to realise what he had said. "I would never get the chance otherwise to talk to anyone and I don't want to waste it."

"That's good." She replied, giving him a reassuring smile. After that they talked about mundane things; he asked after her friends and parents, listened easily when she explained what they were all doing abroad without her, she asked him which were his favourite pastries and then gave detailed descriptions of how to make them, they both spoke about normal things they enjoyed like their favourite music, TV shows and books. They found that they had a lot in common, both being fans of Jagged Stone and being unable to stand the electric club sound of XY, and their conversation flowed smoothly as they gradually forgot everything that surrounded them and just enjoyed being in each other's company. Neither of them realised they were still holding onto the other's hand. It wasn't until Marinette started blinking and looked out of the window with a gasp did the pair realise they had been talking all night and the sun was rising, the red of the sunrise bleeding into the rest of the dark sky.

"Fuck!" Shadow swore as he stared out of the window. "I'll be skinned alive if they find me out of bed!" He instantly sprang up, throwing Marinette's hand away with a slight blush on his cheeks, and made for the door. He wrenched it open, letting a cold breeze fill the shop, and was about to run out when he looked back at Marinette, who hadn't moved from her seat by the window. He sighed as he gripped the doorframe. He really did need some help with this whole social thing.

"I'm sorry Marinette, I didn't mean to startle you or anything." He said softly, walking back to her and gently taking her hand again, pressing it between his own like he was trying to give back some of the warmth she had given him. "I just need to go, my home situation isn't great, and if they find me gone this morning, there will be hell to pay and I'll probably never be let out again. I really don't want that to happen."

"Neither do I." She answered and he almost sprang back when he felt her other hand gently touch his cheek, her skin felt like silk against his own. "After all, if you can't go out, how will you come back here?"

He gave a wide smile as he brought the hand he held captive up to his lips again, letting them linger there for far longer than he had the night before. "I couldn't imagine such a horror," He teased her. "Where else would I get my pastries from?"

"Is that all I am now, your food bank?" She giggled, pretending to slap him but instead letting her fingers slowly travel across his face in a gentle stroke. "You better get going, I don't want you to get into trouble."

"Ah, yes." Shadow answered regretfully, for a brief moment he forgotten why he had to leave. "I'll see you again tonight princess, I promise I'll try to be earlier."

"Princess?" She heavily blushed as he smiled at her again. "Why'd you call me that, I'm no princess."

"Well, you gave me a nickname, I figured you should have one too," He quickly said, not sure himself why he had suddenly said it but finding it fit her very well. "And I think it suits you."

He grinned and for the smallest of moments, she caught sight of his whole face. It was still swathed in shadows but now all the different pieces she had caught glimpses of, eyes, mouth, hair, came together to make his full face that made her heart flutter. Something about it was a little familiar-could she had seen it before? - but she tossed the thought aside as he made to get up and walked back to the swinging front door.

"Until tonight, then." He said, winking at her before he disappeared through the doorway, again yanking his hood up as high as it would go before breaking off into a run and vanishing into the park, the trees shielding him like he was one of their own.

"Until tonight." She murmured softly under her breath, making it sound like a vow as she gently closed the door and went upstairs. She yawned as she finally reached her bed and she could feel her eyelids drooping, begging to be allowed to close. _I'll just take a small nap_ , she told herself as she dragged herself to her computer, _after I see if I have anything from anybody_. She clicked open her message tab and was delighted to see there was one from Alya and Nino, saying they had dealt with their hold up and would be back very soon. She sent her own overjoyed one back quickly before she decided to check her emails again. Her inbox read that she had ten new emails and when she looked at them, all of them were from Gabriel Agreste and marked Urgent.

Frowning at them, she closed down the tab and went back to her bed, resolving to ignore the whole thing. _Soon enough, he'll get bored and find someone else_ , she thought as she drifted off to sleep. She didn't think of Gabriel anymore after that as her thoughts and dreams were instead fully taken up of a young man dressed all in black with golden hair, green eyes like a forest, and a smile wider than the Seine.

 _Yay something in this story that isn't miserable! Those two really needed some fluff and I can't be too evil to them... Hope you all enjoyed it!_


	7. Chapter 7

Unfortunately, Gabriel showed no signs of wanting to give up. For the next couple of weeks, every morning Marinette woke up to a new blockade of emails from him, filling her inbox to the brim and stopping others from getting through. When she blocked that email address, there was only a brief pause, just enough for her to catch her breath, before even more came through on a slightly different one. She had then deleted that email address and made herself a new one. Unfortunately, it only took a day for that one to be flooded as well, each one asking her to reconsider her decision. She couldn't go onto her computer without seeing them pile up slowly throughout the day and the sight now made her stomach turn.

It wasn't just the emails that made her feel like she was under siege in the bakery. Occasionally, the phone would ring and she would go to answer, only to hear nothing from the other side, even though she knew it was him just listening to the sound of her panic. There were the letters and parcels that came through the letterbox, the parcels usually containing some item of designer clothing, often made of silk and very skimpy, that made her insides twist in disgust. _Does he really think he can bribe me like this? It's sickening!_ She would think in her flashes of anger, but they were soon gone and replaced with fear when the next wave of assault came.

She knew it was taking a toll on her; she hadn't designed something in days, now associating the activity with him, she barely ventured out of the bakery, except for essential things and she was a lot jumpier. She found herself screaming at the sound of the creaking floorboards or when Tikki accidentally knocked a bowl off a shelf. It was affecting her so deeply, she was beginning to wonder if she would ever be the same again. _I feel so weak,_ she often thought in her deepest moments of despair. _How can Ladybug be dragged down to this?_

The only positive she had in her life was Shadow. Exactly, as he had said, he had returned that night, that same glint in his eye, and that same smile on his face. He always shamelessly asked for food, calling her 'princess' the whole time to make her blush, and she was happy to indulge him, spending her days trying to relax and making him pastries. Being a baker's daughter, she could make most of them with her eyes closed, it filled her with pride when she served him a full platter of the sweet creamy cakes, and then he left it empty. He would often share them with her, sometimes resulting in them both having cream fights, that ended with both of their faces sticky with pastry, and giggling like little kids. They soon moved from sitting on opposite ends of the table in the bakery, to curled up together on her living room sofa, so close they could feel the warmth radiating from each other. Marinette was overjoyed by this new closeness, after seeing him so cold with her and she was glad to have found someone to talk to. He was happy to let her ramble on about anything and everything and soon, she was pretty sure he knew her better than she knew herself.

She also found that as more nights passed, he started to open up a little to her; he wasn't as worried about keeping his face concealed, letting himself sit up more, so the shadows only hid patches of his face from her eyes, though his hood still stayed permanently up. She also started learning about little snippets of his life; she found out through carefully-treaded conversations that he was also 18, that he had never been to a mainstream school, and that he had a very fractured relationship with his father, who was the only family member he would mention. That made her wonder if his mother was still in the picture, then that always dragged her thoughts back to that painful day with Chat Noir, where he had so desperately cried for his mother and then left without a word. The memory still hadn't lost its sting and she doubted if it ever would. She often wondered if she was helping Shadow because she felt guilty over Chat Noir, but she suspected that her reasons were far more selfish- she just wanted him there because otherwise she had nothing. He was the only thing giving her hope, as they grew close, she thought maybe she could be strong for his sake and if she was steadfast, then surely Gabriel would leave her alone, maybe this nightmare would end for good.

For a while, that distant hope looked promising; the onslaught seemed to reach a stalemate, as more emails were sent as ignored, more gifts were sent back to the post office, and more calls were declined. Marinette was even beginning to feel cheerful, as one afternoon she was humming as she cleaned the bakery, the happy tune filling the quiet air as she wiped down the counters. She wasn't even thinking of Gabriel as she worked, her mind instead looking forwards to Shadow visiting her tonight. She had been watching him closely to see which pastries he liked the most and she was certain that she had made the perfect platter for him; now she was just excited to see the look on his face when she presented it to him. Her humming grew louder and more cheerful as she danced across the bakery floor, wiping the glass in the cabinets as she went. In that moment, she was the happiest she had been in ages and she could feel her smile threatening to split her face in two, when there was a sharp rapping sound from behind her as somebody knocked on the door.

At once she spun around, embarrassed to be caught that way, and feeling her cheeks flare up. Through the windows, she could see a small group of people huddling and she quickly composed herself before she went to the door. This was a normal occurrence for her; the bakery was very popular and she had had to send a lot of people away who came by, thinking it would still be open even with her parents gone. Marinette opened the door, the apologetic speech she had perfected over time already on her lips, before she saw the people who were standing there and froze in horror. Standing on the doorstep, unruffled by the shocked expression on Marinette's face, was Ms Sancoeur, Gabriel's assistant, the one he had called Nathalie after she had lead Marinette into his office. Flanking her were two burly men in dark suits, who had positioned themselves like a giant brick wall behind her, blocking off any exit to prevent her escaping them. They both were scowling down at her like they were daring her to even think of running from them and she instantly felt cowed by the oppressive air the three were giving off. They stood there like they were mafia bosses, waiting on a payment, and it made her feel sick to her stomach. She wanted to slam the door in their faces and run to her room, but her hand felt like it was paralysed; she couldn't move no matter how much she tried.

It was Ms Sancoeur who finally broke the cold silence, her voice clipped and professional, like they were back in Gabriel's office. "Good afternoon, Miss Dupain-Cheng. I'm Nathalie Sancoeur, you remember me from your interview?" Marinette nodded stiffly, the woman gave what could have been a smile before she continued. "I'm here on behalf of Mr Agreste. He would like you to accompany him to dinner this evening, to further discuss what he is offering you."

 _Dinner?_ Marinette almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the request. _He's been harassing me for the past few weeks,_ _ **constantly**_ _and now he thinks I'm going to willingly go to dinner with him?_ "I'm sorry, but there is nothing more I can discuss with him." She said, fixing her eyes firmly on Nathalie, so her bodyguards wouldn't make her resolve waver. "Please, go back and tell him to leave me alone. I'm not interested in anything he has to say."

She finally felt able to move, when she went to close the door, a large meaty hand shot out and held it open, gripping it so that even with all her strength, she couldn't make it budge. She looked up to see the leering face of one of the bodyguards and it made her back away slightly. She could see he was leaving marks on the door and that terrified her. _Would they seriously damage the bakery if they don't get their own way_? The thought paralysed her again as Nathalie stepped closer, closing off the doorway as she spoke again.

"I don't think you quite understand, Marinette," She told her, the sound of her first name cutting Marinette like a knife. "You will be coming to dinner with Mr Agreste, he has given specific instructions that you will do so. You will be waiting out here, at 6 o'clock for his transport to pick you up, and you will meet him at whatever destination he will choose. And he asked me to make sure you were dressed appropriately, 'something date-worthy' were the words he used."

Marinette felt like she was going to choke when she heard it all. _The man must be insane!_ She thought as she glared back at the woman who continued to stand there like she was making a routine visit. "And what if I'm not ready by 6? Did he give you any instructions for that?"

"Actually, he did." She answered, her eyebrow raised like she was amused by the girl's small stand of defiance. "He said to take you there by any means necessary, whether you are ready or not."

Her words made Marinette's blood run cold. She didn't want to believe they were being serious, but the stern look on the woman's face told her that they weren't joking at all. The two men were smirking at her, their eyes gleaming like wolves who had just stumbled on a young lone deer. She wanted to fight back, she wanted to kick them out of her bakery and scream, but she felt numb inside from the fear that was leaking through her, and all she could do was nod again.

"That's better." Nathalie said with another half-smile. "The car will be outside at 6 on the dot. Mr Agreste hates being left waiting, so don't make that mistake. Thank you, Miss Dupain-Cheng. Pleasure doing business with you."

With those last words hanging in the air like poison gas, she turned around and left, her two bodyguards lumbering after her as she crossed the street, melting into the afternoon crowds. Marinette stood in the doorframe for a moment, her eyes following them as they walked away, without a backwards glance. From the way they acted, it was like they had been salespeople trying to sell her something rather than people who had just threatened her. She realised she was trembling but she held herself together just long enough to close the door, and run to her room before she broke down in tears. She collapsed and curled up on the floor, her body pressed hard against her desk like she was trying to mould herself with it. The feeling of the hard wood gave her some clarity in her panicking mind, but she still felt unable to think, unable to breathe. She gave long gasps for air like she was drowning, tears pouring down her cheeks as she wanted to scream for being so useless. _He really has me_ , she thought as she felt a weight on her cheek that was whispering soothing words and trying to calm her down. She couldn't stop herself sobbing, even with Tikki's soft words, as she dwelled on the mess she was in. _He has me in his claws and I can't get out, no matter what I do._

OOO

A few hours later, Marinette was standing outside the bakery, her stomach feeling queasy as she constantly checked the time on her phone. The screen read 5:57, only serving to warn her that the hour of her doom was crawling ever closer. She wasn't sure which would be better; the car arriving now so she could get this awful night over with, or the car never showing and being locked in this position for all time. Both made her shiver despite the warm air and she pulled her shawl closer around her shoulders. She wondered if she wouldn't mind forever waiting; what was waiting for her on the other side could only be worse.

The phone now read 5:58. Marinette groaned a little as she locked it and the black screen reflected her face back up at her. Even though it would have given her tremendous satisfaction to turn up at dinner looking like a tramp, she had been too scared, and had made an attempt to look presentable. She had worn her shoulder length hair up in a bun that was starting to come loose from the wind's gentle but incessant tugging on the looser blue-black strands, blowing them into her face. She had put on her usual light make-up and had only added a touch of light brown shadow, to make her eyes pop out from the thick black lashes that framed her bluebell eyes. Her lips were dark from where she had been biting them all day, so she had only needed a pale lip gloss to give them a sheen.

For a 'date-worthy outfit' (the words still made her feel sick even now) she was wearing one of her own designs, a dress she had made, hoping to wear it on an actual date someday, but there was a fat chance of it happening now; she knew she would probably bin it once she got home. The black halter top cocktail dress that she had been very proud of when she first designed it accentuated her slim curves, showing off her toned arms and legs. The front of the dress showed a one half inch collar around her neck, with six thin straps that ran down towards the top of the sweetheart neckline at a slight angle, three on each side. The skirt of the dress flared out from just below her hips to stop two inches above her knees with a three inch slit up her left side, showing off a delicate black lace to tease but still be modest. The other side of the dress had a hidden zipper that started in the middle of her back ran down to just above her rounded rump, and one for the back of the collar. Knowing how clumsy she could be, she matched the dress with three inch black heels and a little black clutch with a thin black strap which held her keys, cell, and other amenities. Remembering what had happened the last time she went to see Gabriel, she'd also remembered to put in the pepper spray; just in case.

She checked her phone one last time and saw the numbers 5:59 flash before her. Only one minute to go and she felt physically sick. She angrily thrust the phone back in her clutch bag and dislodged the spray, making it stick out of the bag at a jaunty angle. Seeing it made her think of Shadow and she suddenly wished he was with her. Would he be mad when he turned up at the bakery later and saw she wasn't there? She knew he would worry and that thought made her stomach twist guiltily. The last thing she wanted to do was cause him distress, especially when he had done so much for her already.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when, exactly on the dot of 6, a sleek white limousine suddenly pulled up in front of the bakery. She spotted the two bodyguards from earlier, were in the front seats, they both looked slightly disappointed to see she was ready and waiting for them. _They were probably looking forward to dragging me there kicking and screaming_ , she thought bitterly as she fixed them both with a glare. _Gabriel does employ some sick people._

One of them jabbed a thumb at the back of the car and she quickly made her way to the door, not wanting them to have the satisfaction of helping her. When she got into the car, she was surprised by the sheer scale of the luxury inside; the interior was gold and white leather, from the ceiling to the floor and the seats looked so plush, Marinette was sure she would sink into them and then never get back up. She looked around, seeing a large golden bucket filled to the top with ice, an inviting bottle of champagne sticking out, and an open box of chocolates next to it. The sight made her want to recoil from the car. How could he think he could buy her affections like this? Still, she forced herself inside and sat in the seat closest to the door, sliding it reluctantly closed like it was the door to her own prison cell.

"Good. You decided not to resist." She jumped at the sudden voice and whipped around to see Nathalie was sitting on the other end of the limousine, perched on the very edge of the white seat like she was scared of denting it. When Marinette stared at her, she gave only a brief nod in her direction, before looking back down at her clipboard which seemed to be a permanent fixture to her arm. "And you did dress well. Mr Agreste is already waiting for you at The Blue Moon. We should be there in no time."

Marinette gulped. The Blue Moon was one of the most prestigious and expensive restaurants in the whole of Paris; it was one of the places she remembered her old classmate Chloe Bourgeois boasting about. She had heard the food there was amazing, but she felt so sick she doubted she could get a morsel past her lips. The car set off and Nathalie didn't say another word as she focused back down on her clipboard. Marinette was grateful the woman didn't speak, as she laid her head back on the leather, and closed her eyes. That way she could pretend she was simply back in her room, lying on her bed as she rested from another long day. By the time the car stopped, she almost believed she was there and when the car door slammed open, she was awakened with a jolt.

"We're here." The large man grunted as she hopped from the car. Nathalie quickly followed her out and beckoned her over to the large set of steps that lead to the restaurant. Marinette hastily fell in step behind her, tugging her shawl around her shoulders as she stared up at the building with her eyes wide. The exterior of The Blue Moon was exquisitely decorated to look like a palace with tall spirals and large windows, flooded in blue light making it all look like glass. The wide oval doors gleamed before her like the teeth of a giant and when Nathalie ushered her inside, she felt like she was being swallowed. The walls being decorated with red velvet didn't help, as it gave the illusion that she was walking down a monster's gullet. She wanted to run but she knew the bodyguards would still be waiting outside, eagerly hoping she would attempt to escape, so they could manhandle her inside.

She followed Nathalie down the corridor like a lamb to the slaughter until they reached the main room of the restaurant. This room was painted a pale blue with a high domed ceiling and large glass baubles hanging from the ceiling that had been dimpled, to look like glowing moons. Each table looked pristine with long white tablecloths, silver vases on each one, and the air was filled with gentle violin music. Marinette could already feel herself being soothed, until she looked over towards the other side of the room, and saw Gabriel sitting in a small booth directly opposite. His glasses flashed as he stared over at her and a gentle shove pushed her forwards.

"Go. He's been waiting for you and he is not a patient man." Nathalie's voice reprimanded her from behind and she found herself walking towards him. As she got closer, she could see the way his eyes were roaming over her, drinking in every detail, her hands trembled as she pushed her chair back, and sat down. For a moment, the two just stared across the table at each other, one apprehensively looking in fear, and the other glaring with a blank expression. It was Gabriel who eventually broke the silence, his voice pleasant, and his eyes never leaving her form as he folded his hands under his chin.

"You came. I'm very glad about that."

"I didn't have much of a choice when your guards turned up at my door." Marinette spat at him. She had been fearful all the way here but now she was confronted with the man who was making her existence a misery, she could feel fire burning in her veins and she wanted to fight back. "They would have dragged me here otherwise."

"But they didn't have to." Gabriel responded smoothly. He was completely mesmerised by her; in the light of the restaurant and in the dress she was wearing, she seemed even more beautiful than she had that day in his office. He wanted to reach over and touch her, make sure she was real, and not just his imagination. The fire he saw in her eyes was just as entrancing; he was already imagining those eyes looking up at him, his and his alone. It made him more determined to have her, and he leant over in his chair, just so he could be a few centimetres closer to her. "That is promising. It shows you want to talk."

"Of course, I want to talk! About you leaving me-" She was cut off by the sudden appearance of a waiter, who came over, poured her a glass of wine before bowing, and disappearing again. Gabriel took a long sip of his own wine, the red liquid swilling around in the glass like a stormy, bloody sea, before he motioned for her to do the same.

"Taste it. I assure you, the wine here is divine. I picked this one myself. It should go perfectly with the menu I picked out for us both."

"You already chose the food?" Marinette stared at him. "But what-"

"I selected it purely on your likes and dislikes Marinette, you have no need to worry." Gabriel told her with a small smile on his face that seemed to contort his expression. "I just didn't want anybody to interrupt us just to take our order."

Before Marinette could answer, the waiter appeared again, this time with two plates of steaming food. As one was rested in front of her, Marinette couldn't help but gasp. The dish was a serving of noodles in Chinese broth, one of her favourite dishes. The aroma coming from the silkily spiced liquid was indulgent and she wanted to dive in and taste it, but the sight of it had rendered her motionless. How had he known this was her favourite? She looked back up at him and when he gave her a grin, all her hunger suddenly vanished.

"Go on, please." Gabriel continued to smirk as he placed his napkin on his lap. "Before it gets cold. We can talk after we've finished eating."

Marinette stayed frozen for a moment, still processing the whole thing, before she hesitantly picked up her chopsticks and began to eat. Though the broth was delicious and the noodles perfectly done, she barely tasted any of it, the food feeling like bland lumps in her mouth and the wine only serving to soak her throat under Gabriel's watchful gaze. She knew he had yet to look away from her and that sent shivers down her spine. What was he going to say once this charade of a peaceful dinner was done?

Once they had both set their chopsticks down, the plates were whisked away, and their glasses refilled before moments later the dessert arrived. Again Marinette was shocked; the light fluffy strawberry cake in front of her looked delicious, but even her love of cake couldn't hold against the tense atmosphere, and it tasted like cotton wool as she forced herself to swallow it down. All the while, Gabriel was still staring, his cold blue eye looking at her like he could see through the fabric of her dress. It made her huddle further into her shawl but that didn't deter him at all. He just went on looking at her, not speaking until their dessert plates were gone and they once again had full glasses of wine. He took one sip, peering at her over the rim of the glass, before he set it down and spoke.

"Now that we have eaten, we can get down to business." He crossed his fingers and rested them back on the table, his voice still pleasant but unwavering. "I'm going to get straight to the point and tell you that my offer for you to become my business partner still stands."

"And I'm here to tell you that my previous answer _definitely_ still stands!" Marinette fired back. "Do you really think you can scare me into agreeing, send me all those emails and things and I'll come crawling? No chance in hell! _That_ is my final say of the matter!"

She went to stand up, ready to turn away and walk out of the restaurant. She was expecting him to sound angry and demand her to get back in her seat, but all he did was chuckle lightly like she had done something greatly amusing. Then, with a lightning speed that she never expected him to have, he reached out and grabbed her wrist, locking her in place. She gave a squeal, trying to pull away but he held her there rigidly, and not one head in the restaurant went up to see what was happening. She froze in place, as Gabriel gave her a smile that was twisted by the light around him, as he tugged at her arm to lower her back into her seat.

"You know, you really remind me of someone." He smiled, looking at her in a way that was almost fondly. "She said no to me at first as well, but I persisted, and was soon able to persuade her. The issue was she just didn't know when to stop." His eyes darkened slightly and when he looked back up at her, his eyes were so cold she was convinced his irises were ice. "I'll soon persuade you too. I hope you won't make the same mistakes she did."

"H-how will you persuade me?" Marinette stuttered, furious at how weak she sounded. "After all you've done, you'll never get me to agree to this!"

His face didn't change as he continued to stare levelly at her, not releasing his grip on her wrist. She stared back, each second that ticked by making her more uncertain, before he finally spoke again. "I was going to ask earlier Marinette, how are your parents enjoying their trip? I'm sure your mother is greatly enjoying being with her family."

"What?" The sudden change of topic caught her by surprise as she gave him a confused look. "How did you know-"

"And your friends, Alya and Nino. Tell me, have they reached London yet? I know they are both working very hard, a true credit to their employers."

Marinette couldn't respond, her angry words catching in her throat and choking her. How did he know about her parents being away? And where her friends were going? Had he really gone into that much depth about her life? Before she could even get the questions straight in her mind, he was speaking again, and each word filled her with cold dread.

"It would be a real shame if your friends got there and found all their work had dried up. It would really put a damper on their careers, wouldn't it? And them being so young and talented too… such a pity. They would be heart-broken, if their dreams went up in smoke like that… And if your parents were held up abroad, it would really stunt their business too. There's only a certain amount of time people will wait, before they get tired, and go to another bakery, there must be dozens in Paris… And of course, there are other ways to lose business, like if there were rumours of rats surrounding the place…"

"You wouldn't!" She snapped, her anger bursting like a firework, before it fizzled away under his hard gaze and sinister smile. "You couldn't…"

"Believe me Marinette, I could." He told her and she believed it. "I have some very powerful contacts, contacts who owe me massively, and will do anything to keep me happy. With one word, I could make all of those things happen and more so if I were you, I would be listening very closely to what I have to say."

His smile only grew wider when he felt how she was shaking under his grip. He let her go gradually, his fingers lingering on her skin for as long as possible, taking his time because he knew she wouldn't run away. She stayed sitting in her chair, her face so pale it looked like she had been bleached as she waited for him to speak, like a condemned criminal awaiting their fate.

"This is the deal I am proposing. You will come and work as my business partner, using your brilliant talents alongside mine to create new fashions. We would both be unstoppable, think of it. You would get a lot of new media attention, being my protégée of course. Think of how much your designs could be sold for, how much hard work and struggle you could avoid. You could save so many years trying to get on the market and my brand would be given a new lease of life. Everybody wins here."

"Is that all you want from me?" She asked. "Just for me to work for you?"

"Not exactly." She felt him reach for her hand again and she was too shell-shocked to pull it away. He turned her hand over, exposing the soft flesh of her palm and he ran his thumb along the criss-crossing lines that marred it, ones that were supposedly meant to spell out her fate. "We would be working together day in, day out. Over time, the press would see our relationship deepening; we would go from being simply a student and their mentor, to being friends, then something far more… _intimate._ "

The last word dripped from his tongue like it was honey and it made Marinette's entire body go cold. _He surely couldn't mean…_ The realisation hit her and she felt sicker than she had ever felt before. She almost gagged, just about holding in all the food she had forced down, and she wrenched her hand away from him to hold it over her mouth. Meanwhile, he sat across the beautifully patterned table from her, acting like he'd just talked about the weather, making her anger spark inside her, as he watched her almost fascinated. _How could I have once respected this man? He has blackmailed me, just threatened my friends and family just so I would eventually…_ she couldn't even think it, the thought was so ghastly. She stared back at him in shock, her chest heaving with the effort of each breath and he calmly addressed her again.

"So, my dear, what do you think? Do we have a deal?"

He held out his hand, the one that had been caressing hers moments before, and she glared down at it with enough fury in her eyes to scorch it. "I'll tell you what I think…" She growled, about to launch into a tirade of angry words, but suddenly the waiter who had been tending them the entire night appeared beside them like he had sprang out from a trapdoor, armed with a pitcher of water and a surprised expression.

"Would… would the lady like a refill?" He asked slowly, tentatively holding out the glass pitcher. To Marinette, it was like a red rag to a bull, as she felt something inside her snap. She was not going to stand for this a moment longer and this was how she was going to show him.

"Yes, thank you, I'd _love_ a refill." She told him, putting on her sweetest voice as she gently, took the pitcher from his hands. Then, with a furious look, she turned back to Gabriel and tipped the contents over his head. The man spluttered as he was hit by the wave of chilled water, ice cubes, and the waiter loudly gasped as every head in the place turned to stare in horror at the commotion. Marinette, unaware of the tension that surrounded her, only smiled as she shook the last remaining drops from the curve of the pitcher and handed it back to the stunned waiter, bringing out her phone so she could take a picture of her handiwork. It truly was a sight to behold; Gabriel sat there completely drenched, his greying blonde hair a deluged mop, with the tips covering the top of his glasses rims, his eyes widened with disbelief and shock. His jaw was slackened in the face of the camera, and his suit saturated with a few ice cubes sitting on his shoulders, like parrots perched there for a rest. She giggled as she took the photo, before she turned back to the waiter with an even wider smile.

"If you don't mind, I'd like a refill of the last hour and a half; frankly it's been awful and I'd like the time back." She told him, ignoring the look of total horror on his face as she turned back to Gabriel with a hiss. "And as for you, I want you to stay away from me. Do not come near me ever again with your sick offers." Fury burned in her eyes as she stared at him warningly, but he didn't change his expression as he stared back at her, the icy water dripping from his glasses. She looked back down at the photo on her screen and she had to smile, wanting to laugh out loud at the absurdity of her situation.

"You know," She finally said as she scooped up her possessions and gave him one last winning smile. "You make an excellent drowned owl." Stuffing the phone back in her bag, she then spun around on her small heels and marched from the restaurant, leaving their audience open-mouthed. The staff was panicking about what to do and Gabriel still sitting there, his hand shaking in quiet cold anger as he reached into his pocket for his own phone. He held it up to his soaked face, nobody daring to interrupt the call as they fluttered around him, fussing like bees around lavender. A gruff voice spoke on the line, a voice so rough and deep it felt like gravel was being poured into his ears.

"Yes?"

Gabriel only spoke one line before hanging up. "Don't let her get home."

OOO

 _OK, walking far from home, in Paris, in the middle of the night is definitely not one of my better ideas_. Marinette thought bitterly as she heaved a long suffering sigh. Too angry and depressed to care who saw her in her state of wretchedness, she mentally berated herself as she stomped away from the restaurant, her eyes flashing with anger as she dared any of the staff outside to stop her. She had never felt more disgusted in her life.

"Of all the things to have him say," she grumbled. "He chose to say _that_." She couldn't believe that he had just said that, out of nowhere. The fact that the idea had even passed his mind was sickening enough, but the fact that he had said it made her stomach clench all over again. _No_ , she told herself, _I won't think about it anymore. If he has any sense he'll stay away from me._

She took a sharp turn down a side street, away from traffic, towards her parent's bakery. With her body went on auto-pilot, she left one side of the street, and crossed to another with dimmer lighting. She heaved a depressed sigh, then stopped when her low heels pinched her feet for the 6th time since she'd left the jerk.

"Why was I stupid enough to wear these heels?" She complained loudly, her voice snapping with frustration as she yanked off the cute little black heels from hell. _I've still got two miles to go before I get back to the bakery. Crap, Tikki's gonna be peeved_ , she thought before she picked up the shoes and started to walk. She knew she could have gotten a taxi home, but she felt like she needed to walk her anger off and rant into the night about how horrible her entire evening had been.

With her shoes swinging by her side, she went across another side street that had brighter but fewer lights. She was so focused on her foul mood and the street in front of her that she didn't notice the sudden streak of white that leapt over her head and peered stealthily down at her, watching her every moment with a smile. _So this is where my princess is,_ Chat Blanc thought as her angry grumblings reached his ears and made them twitch on top of his head. _Where's she been? I was waiting for her at the bakery for ages. And why is she so cross?_

Oblivious to the shining yellow eyes that gleamed like twin moons above her, Marinette carried on marching down the long streets, her mind lost in her fog of anger. She knew the bakery wasn't too far away but after a few minutes, she started to get the uncomfortable feeling that she was being followed. She sped up her pace a little, but the feeling still remained, prickling at the back of her neck like she could feel the stranger's gaze. She heard a heavy scrape behind her and that made her halt slightly, snapping her fully from her reverie. She knew this was a quiet street in a decent neighbourhood, so there should have been no one else there, and that confirmed her worst fears. Instead of turning around, she clutched her shoes to her chest and ran, hearing heavy footfalls following behind her along with foul curses breaking the peaceful silence of the Parisian night.

"Goddammit, Phineas! Now you made the fuckin' bitch run, making this harder of the rest of us!" shouted a disgustingly familiar voice.

"You shouldna let him have dat last Fischer, Claude. Hell, Pierre warned ya!" Gustav shouted and she shuddered. She'd never forget that leering voice or terrible accent.

"Fuck off! Both o' yous!" Yelled a new voice she assumed belonged to Phineas that was deeper than the other two but still just as mean and rough.

Marinette could feel her chest constricting in panic; the memory of what they had done to her last time was still fresh in her mind and it pushed her forwards. As she ran, she knocked over some trash cans sat by the edge of the street and sent them rumbling in her wake. They flew into the road, knocking over one of her assailant's by the sound of his cursing.

"I'm going to make you pay for what you did to me last time, you fuckin' bitch! When I'm done, you'll wish you were never born!" The murderous voice of Claude rang out, starting to sound winded from chasing his surprisingly fast and agile prey.

She made another turn and another but she could hear them gaining on her. Her feet were pounding away on the hard concrete and rough tar roads that had sharper points sticking out of them, stabbing into her unprotected, pale feet. She'd be lucky if the bottoms of her feet weren't torn bloody after this. _There's no time to put them on,_ she thought. _But maybe..._

She suddenly turned in the air and threw a shoe at her closest aggressor without taking aim, landing back on her feet still going full speed, hoping she'd done some kind of damage.

"Fuck!"

 _Yup, I got one._ She smirked. _Now, to lose the last of the bozos_.

Before Marinette could try that trick again, she saw a dead end in front of her and was forced to stop, almost ramming her body into it from the momentum. The brick was too high for her to reach, there was nothing close by to help her climb over it, and there were no windows or fire escapes to give her any leverage over her pursuer. She turned, clutching the shoe and shawl to her chest in a tight grip, but refused to show her fear, her back up against the wall. She saw it was Claude, slowly advancing towards her, with a menacing smirk on his face. Her hair had come undone from the bun, so it swung about her face freely, tousled about her shoulders, framing her round face as she watched the heaving man progress with victory and hate burning in his soulless eyes. The young woman searched for an opening with her bright blue ones, hoping against hope that the other two were too far away or had gotten lost.

Almost eerily, the other two stumbled and wheezed behind their leader, blocking off any possible exit, with their hands on their knees, staring her down daring her with the look of triumph in their eyes, to try to get past all three of them in that narrow ally. _This really isn't my lucky day_ , she thought darkly.

"You're... a... dead... tramp..." panted out Phineas who looked ready to puke up his beer, trash stuck to his grimy and foul smelling clothes.

"Hell... yeah..." replied Gustav. He slowly straightened his back and she saw the black eye starting to form on his right eye, making it rapidly swell closed.

 _I must have got him with the heel_ , she thought, feeling a drop of satisfaction before it faded clean away. _Come on, Marinette, you can think you're way out of this._ She started to take a mental inventory of what she had and formulated a plan of action but her mind stalled when Claude started to step closer, cracking his knuckles as he sickly smiled at her.

"I'm going to enjoy this, slut..." He drawled out.

"But didn't... tha'... hoytie-toytie... say ta-" started the puffing Gustav, but one glare from his friend shut him up.

"Not after last time." The bear of a man ground out. "This time she's going to pay."

"Ah," Gustav snorted, trying not to laugh. "You mean when she got ya in the goolies." Claude's face flamed with shame, embarrassment, and hate, turning his full attention back to his prey.

"Now- Gaaaaaahhhhh!" His tirade interrupted with a girlish squeal of pain erupting in his nether regions, _again._ He dropped to the pavement like a stone, clutching his privates to protect them from further damage, gulping as much air into his burning lungs to keep from howling in torturous pain. As he lay there, he watched through blurry eyes as the woman went to escape.

"Come on, Missy," cajoled Gustav unsuccessfully. "Why don't ya make it easier on yaself and come with us, quietly?" Phineas walked over to his friend, to help him, his advance had been halted when the woman chucked her other shoe at him, the other heel cracking on the bridge of his nose, causing it to bleed profusely as he clutched it in agony.

"Gawd dammit!" The no longer tipsy man screeched.

"Man up, Phin!" The squeaky panting reply came from the cold, hard pavement behind the girl.

While Marinette was turning her body back to face Gustav, he grabbed her arm to stop her running. _Big mistake_ , she thought as she grinned darkly at him. The thug realized it too late, as she pulled her arm towards her, causing the momentum to bring the lanky unbalanced male into target range. She swung her leg up and clocked the lanky man in the jaw, causing him to bite his tongue. He let go of her arm as he yelped like a dog and cradled his face, blood dribbling from the corners of his mouth down over his fingers.

Claude was off the ground, finally recovered from his second beating, and determined to even the score. With his fists brought up, he swung at her, putting all his weight behind his arm. Marinette had heard him lurch up from the ground and so moved her head to the side. As his arm fruitlessly flew past her head, she grabbed his arm, kicked his legs from under him, and threw him, using all her strength, at Gustav. The man's head cracked against the road, both aggressor's bodies in a dark, tangled heap on the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Phineas take measured steps towards her and she dug into her small purse, ready to pull out the pepper spray to use it on the large chubby man. When he got within range, she pressed the nozzle and it let out the spicy red chemicals, into her assailant's eyes. He backed away, covering his now spiced oculars with his bloody hands, screaming his pain, and tripping over the other bodies on the pavement.

Suddenly, she felt a shocking pain in her neck that made her cry out as her body started to violently convulse. She felt herself fall towards the ground, unable to make her body move to respond as the pain shot through her in a huge current, and then everything turned black. Pierre stood behind her, covered in black clothes with a ski mask concealing his face, holding a taser still lit up, buzzing from the trigger being pulled, and used on the young woman, now sprawled on the ground. The pepper spray fell from her now lax grip, slowly rolling towards the three men that were on the ground. Gustav was trying to push both Claude's unconscious body and the writhing form of Phineas off of him, but he wasn't having much success, as both their dead weights were too much for him.

"What the fuck were you idiots doing?!" Pierre growled. "You're grown men, I shouldn't have to save your sorry asses from one tiny girl!"

"She ran before we could get her!" whined Phineas. He removed his hands from a face which was now a mess from his own blood, tears and pepper spray. He couldn't see very well, but stumbled up anyway.

"She prob'ly wouldna have heard ya if ya hadna had dat last Fischer, like Pierre tol' ya not ta, ya shi' head!" Gustav yelled with a lisp before he groaned in pain from using his now swollen tongue to bellow at his drunkard of a comrade. Pierre turned to Gustav who was picking up his unconscious friend, slinging his bear-like arm over thin shoulders, Claude still out cold from the blow to his head.

"What happened to the numb skull?" Pierre drawled out while walked over to the senseless man and put away the taser in the holder on his belt.

"She cracked his nut sack again and then threw him like he was a sack of flour, the guy must've cracked his head." Phineas explained. Pierre glared at the sprayed, bloody drunk, then turned his attention to Gustav's bruised face in disgust.

"She gives you a couple bruises to your face and you're down for the count, _ane_?"

The beanpole stuck out his tongue, showing Pierre his bitten tongue barely still held together by a few ligaments and bleeding copiously, as his answer.

"Well, at least I won't have to hear about how you ate out the last few harlots you've had around town, for a while." Pierre smirked causing the other man to grimace and glare at the leader. Phineas snorted in the background.

They hadn't forgotten the woman that caused all this and they leered down her as she lay helplessly facedown, on the rough ground. Pierre bent down to pick up the comatose body, only to be stopped by a gold pole cracking the pavement with a clang that shot through the air of the alleyway like a warning bell. His hands frozen in mid-movement, Pierre jumped back in time to not be smashed by the big boots of a young man clad in white that stood before them. All three men looked up at the person that had slid down the gilt weapon, and felt a chill go up their spines that had nothing to do with the autumn night air.

The pole retracted from its place near the girl's prone body, to shorten itself a few inches shorter than the owner, his stance deceptively lazy. His body was encased in white armoured leather, the white ears atop of his golden locks not giving away his emotions. The white domino mask attached to his face held glowing amber cat eyes with thin black slits that glared back at the girl's aggressors, the only thing showing his emotional state. His mouth closed, hiding his lengthened canines, until he spoke in a low calm voice, the one he borrowed from his kwami.

"Why are you after her?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business." Pierre replied in the same manner. "You're that Chat Blanc, ain't you, the one trying to scare everyone away? You ain't exactly a hero yourself."

"No, I'm not." The white cat nodded. "I'm won't claim to be something I'm not."

"So why don't you back off and let us take her? There's someone who wants to speak with her." The man was clearly nervous about this someone-he knew this guy was different from anyone he's had to face and knows that one mistake could land him a one-way trip down the Seine.

"Ah, that's where we must disagree," was the pointed reply. "You made it my business by going after what I consider to be _mine_." Inside his head he was speaking to the phantom that he was fused with instead of Plagg. _What should I do?_

 **"** **You don't have to ask me, Adrien."** The dark spirit replied in his mind. **"** **They're going to unveil us, but this might be the best way to show your father that we mean business, that these past few months were just... a warm up."**

Chat Blanc gave a delighted grin at his words and the men watching him stiffened at the sight of it. "You see, you're going to be my messengers. Though, I do believe there are three too many of you." Chat Blanc stated quietly, his pole slowly retracting back to the size of a baton and he smoothly returned it to the back sheath on his suit, just above his belt tail. He brought his hand up towards his face, showing his white claws, when he flexed his fingers, the nails grew out another inch and his eyes glowed with an unholy light at the hapless fools before him. "Let's whittle you down a bit, shall we?" The men took a step back, Claude still was knocked out cold, so Chat chose to leave him with just a few reminders, slashing his shirt into ribbons with a single movement that made the other men scream and try to run.

 **"** **It's no fun to play with something that won't scream."** Chat Blanc pointed out, his voice echoing inside Adrien's skull.

 _Very true_ , the suited man grinned back mirthlessly. His figure suddenly blurred, moving faster than the men could see as he charged after them. They were completely unprepared to take him on and there was no chance of them outrunning him. He knew it and was going to enjoy this.

OOO

Marinette groaned, her eyebrows and nose scrunching as she slowly woke up. Shifting a little, she mentally took stock of her body as she yawned and stretched, her eyes fluttering open. Her confused bluebell eyes groggily looked around the room, they were confronted with pink; she was back in her bedroom at the bakery and she could see her clutch, bag, and shawl placed below her on the floor as she was laid across her chaise longue. Her body was warm, she could feel a blanket had been wrapped around her, and she was also still wearing her black cocktail dress. There was a slight pinching pain in the back of her neck, a swelling pain from her forehead, and an agonizing ache from her feet. _What happened?_ Her blurry thoughts kept trying to make sense of the new pains. _Why do my feet hurt this much?_

Slowly, her brain brought up why her feet felt worse than any other part of her, causing her eyes to widen with horror as she looked around more frantically, her breath hitched in her throat. The room was dark, so she couldn't see that well, but eventually her eyes swung towards the person next to her. Her eyes adjusted enough to the dim lighting and she gave a sigh of relief when she saw the gentle friendly smile of Shadow, looking at her from the end of her chaise longue. Knowing he was there, she visibly relaxed, releasing the breath she'd held, and returned the smile her friend was bestowing on her.

"Hey there, Princess."

"Hey yourself, stranger." Came the sleepy reply.

"How're you feeling? Do you hurt anywhere?" He prodded gently edging a little closer to her.

"I feel tired and a bit bruised, but I'll be-"

"Please, don't lie to me, Marinette," came the gentle but firm reply. "Chat Blanc saved you and brought you here."

"Chat Blanc?!" She said looking at him incredulously. "You spoke to Chat Blanc?

"Yes, he told me what happened, that you'd ran barefoot down several alleys, fought four guys, got tasered, and fell unconscious to the ground, hard." He couldn't help himself any longer and took one of her hands, bringing it to his lips, kissing it gently with a plea in his eyes. "So please, be honest with me; are you hurt anywhere?"

"Yes," Her voice came out as a quiet sigh. "They're not too bad, I'm not in a lot of pain at the moment, but my feet do hurt and my head is throbbing a little bit."

"OK," Shadow answered as he lightly placed her hand back on the blanket. "Stay here, I'll get you something." He hopped off the end of the chaise longue and ran into the bathroom, quickly turning on both taps to run some warm water. He quickly returned with some pain killers, a first aid kit, Vaseline, and ace bandages, setting those next to the pile of towels she had earlier left on the counter, he had already placed by her side. He handed her a glass of water which she used to gulp down the pain killers, she watched him as he made a cold compress, and placed it on her bruised head. She peered up at him, the corners of her lips turned upwards in a sweet sleepy smile that made his heart swell, and he had to force his eyes away from her to tend to her feet. Marinette tried getting up but her saviour quickly pressed his hand to her shoulder as she looked up at him.

"Why won't you let me get up?" She asked him as she heard the running water. "And what's the water for?"

"It's to soak your feet in," He explained as he quickly dashed to turn the taps off and came back with a wash basin of warm bubbling water. "Having your full weight on your feet will be painful and I know you want to go over to clean them yourself, but this room is spacious and you'd have to walk a good distance from the bed to the tub. Plus, I figured you'd need help getting the peroxide on to disinfect your wounds, I know your feet are going to be very tender."

"You've been thinking about this a while now, haven't you?" She asked, quirking a brow at him.

"As soon as Chat Blanc gave you to me and told me what he saw." _And after I beat the crap out of those assholes_ , he thought bitterly.

"How long was I out?" She asked, trying not to look perturbed at the thought of it being longer than a day but failing.

"It was only for about an hour, maybe. Don't worry, it's just after midnight," He soothed. "Now, let's get you cleaned up."

"Shadow, I appreciate your concern-"

"We're not negotiating on this," He stated stubbornly, crossing his arms as he looked down at her. "It's either we do this my way or I take you to the hospital and I know you don't want to make that trip when it could easily be taken care of here." Marinette sighed, shook her head, then chuckled looking back up at him.

"Fine, you win. Just… be gentle, OK?"

"I promise, princess." He smiled at her as she gently eased herself upright, leaning back with the blanket falling about her shoulders. It made her look a little like a toddler swaddled in clothes ten times their size and he almost chuckled as he pulled the folds tighter around her tiny body. He could feel her relax at his touch, he couldn't help a small part of him want to pull her closer and not let go. _Mine_ , his mind suddenly claimed but he mentally shook the thought from his head. _She's not yours, she's a friend who's injured who requires your help, quit thinking like a cad and be the gentleman she needs._

He helped her gently soak each foot in the water, hating the little hisses and whimpers that left her lips. He so desperately wanted to take her pain away but they both knew this was needed to stop her wounds from being infected. Once he had finished cleaning them, he lifted them up and placed them on a towel spread over his lap, being careful to not irritate the injuries anymore. The light from the nightlight cast shadows over them, hiding his features more but bestowing a dull warm glow to her porcelain skin. The hooded man picked up the kit and bandages, as well as the other towel he had on hand, that he put on his knees as extra padding so her feet had something soft under them and also in case her feet decided to bleed. He wanted to make this process as comfortable as possible, since he couldn't take away the pain. Marinette placed her feet gently on his towel covered legs, she held her breath, waiting to feel the shooting pain, when it didn't come, she let out a shaky breath.

Adrien opened the kit, pulled out the hand sanitizer to clean his hands, then ever so tenderly, cradled his friend's mutilated foot in his large hands to see what he needed to use. He inwardly bristled at the sight of the damage, not wanting to upset her, while on the outside tried to manifest an air of calm. There were various cuts and bruises all along the heels, balls, and toes of both feet, there were also blisters, some forming while others had popped. _I should've strung them up by their balls and left them dangling from the Eiffel Tower like Christmas ornaments_! He mentally seethed. At odds with his thoughts, his hands benevolently placed her foot back on the fluffy cloth, slowly turned his upper body and took out some hydrogen peroxide, cotton balls, and balm.

When he'd held her foot so tenderly, she almost broke into tears, her heart quivering from the reverence she swore she felt in his touch. She knew if she could see his eyes she'd see it there too and she was suddenly thankful for the hood over his eyes as she didn't want to cry and alarm him even more that night. Noticing the peroxide, Marinette winced visibly. She needed the stuff, but she also knew it wasn't going to make it sting any less. Mentally, she tried to prepare herself as her present caretaker poured the acidic liquid onto one of the fluffy balls of cotton, knowing it was going to hurt no matter what either of them attempted to ease the pain. Cradling her foot once again in one hand, Shadow peered up at the designer from the edge of his hoodie, in askance to proceed with the treatment, she quickly nodded her head.

 _Get it over with_ , she mentally grimaced.

In compliance, the cotton ball was pressed to her heel and Marinette had to bite her lower lip to keep from swearing, her face screwed in pain and her arms shaking from clenching her hands into tight fists, turning her knuckles white. After some time, more pressing, whimpers, and bubbling pain; the pain becoming a repetitive dull ache. Regrettably, Adrien had questions that needed answers and just working on her feet, not asking wasn't going to get them, so he glanced up at the girl, while starting to put on the soothing balm to the bottoms of her feet.

"Mari-"

"I don't want to talk about it, Shadow. I've had a horrendous night... hell the last month or so has been abominable, and I really don't want to- AAHHHH!" She hissed as an unexpected stab of pain shot straight up her foot in a potent wave.

"Sorry, Marinette." Adrien said softly as he alleviated the pressure from the now red cotton ball.

"No, you're fine, it's just me." she said, her voice quaking. "I just feel like a mess right now."

"I really wish I could take on this pain for you, so you didn't have to go through this." She wasn't sure if her heart was racing because of the words he said or if it was from the pain.

"It was my fault, so-"

"MARINETTE!" She sat there shocked at the anger in his voice, she couldn't see his eyes because of the hoodie, but she knew if saw them, they'd be aflame. When he realized he'd yelled, he looked back down at her feet, both now red, raw, and disinfected. He threw away the bloodied cotton in a nearby waste bin near the desk before picking up the balm and took out a glob, his chest heaving with the weight of his anger.

"I'm sorry, Princess," he said in a voice so gentle, it matched how he smoothed generous amounts of the salve on her sole. "I shouldn't have yelled just then…"

"No, you have a right to be upset, Shadow. You're one of my closest friends, closer to me than Alya who's like a sister to me, and you have questions I'm not answering that should be. I know you hate it when I downplay things like this, take the blame, or when you're lied to. That's not fair of me." The pain in her feet was still there, but the gel had helped to subdue it, for now. She reached out her hand and rested it on his shoulder, causing him to glance up at her apologetic face.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me, Shadow." Tears were gathered in the corners of her captivating bluebell eyes, making them shine like the galaxy had bestowed its ethereal wonder in them, just for him. After wiping his hands on the dirtied towel covering his thighs, he took her hand from his shoulder, bringing it to his lips, kissing her small knuckles reverently, while still gazing up at her.

"I'll always forgive you, princess."

She bestowed on him her sweet gentle smile, one that reminded him so much of his mother, and he felt his heart swell with joy. Mentally lamenting that he had to, Shadow put Marinette's hand back on her lap, and went about to finish treating her. He twisted his upper body slowly to keep his treasured friend's embalmed feet balanced on his knees, then gathered the bandages to wrap them up. While he swaddled her abused feet, she subconsciously rubbed the compress that was over her bruise and winced before she then put her hand back in her lap.

"It's kind of a long story… I'll have to start way back at the beginning…"

"That's OK with me." He smiled up at her and she managed a small one back.

"OK. Well, it all started on that day we met, do you remember it?" He gave a nod and she went on. "Well, I was going there to see Gabriel Agreste-"

"What?!" He suddenly sat bolt upright and stared up at her. "You went and saw Gabriel Agreste? Why did you need to go see that disgusting asshole?!"

"You know him?"

"Sadly, yes. And I certainly know how cruel he can be." She could hear anger and sadness in his voice, if he hadn't been holding her feet, she would have gone to hug him.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." He said firmly. "I need to hear what he did to you. Tell me, everything, don't leave a single thing out."

Marinette gave him a short look, before she started telling him everything that had happened, starting with that very first email, all the way through to the disaster of a dinner she had just lived through. Once she started, she found she couldn't stop and she could feel the familiar rise of terror inside her that frequently made her stop and gasp for breath, the tears coming back as she relived every awful moment, the courage that has sustained her in the restaurant gone.

Shadow finished bandaging her feet and climbed up next to her on the chaise longue, listening to her story with his face growing darker. He had always known his father was capable of doing horrible things, but the fact that he had tried to break such a perfect soul went beyond even him. _That bastard…_ He thought angrily, rubbing comforting circles into Marinette's back that got tighter and harder with each new twist to her story. _Why does he want her so badly?_

"That _person_ ," She spat, "had the balls to threaten my friends and family, their livelihoods, their homes, right in front of me, as though it were no consequence to him. As though their feelings, their lives didn't matter. On top of that, he said that as part of his new deal, our relationship would be different. That I would eventually become..." she trailed off, her brows and nose scrunched up in rage.

"You become... what?" He hesitated to ask.

"He said, that once we had been partners for a while, we would become more intimate," She said in revulsion. "That means I would eventually become his… his _wife_."

"He... WHAT?!" Marinette practically jumped at Shadow's shout of disbelief and anger.

The boy's green eyes suddenly looked aflame and he felt so angry that if the raven haired girl hadn't been injured and sitting right in front of him, he would have summoned Plagg, marched up to the Agreste mansion, and not left until Gabriel's face had been clawed to pieces. The young man had never felt his cat instincts coming onto him like this before and he felt a step away from growling, spitting, and hissing with his fangs bared. His arms tightened around Marinette in protection, as though some unknown entity were trying to tear her away from him and his body went stiff, his lips drawn into a thin line as his nostrils flared with the effort to breath. _He's trying to take another precious person from my life, I won't let him!_ He thought, glaring at the doorway like the disgusting old man was about to burst through it.

"Shadow?" A soft hand suddenly pressed against his chest, quelling the furious storm of feelings that were spilling out of him. "Are you, OK? I don't want you to be mad…" At the feel of her small, delicate touch, he was brought back to the fact she was in front of him, rubbing his chest, and looking at him with concern in her bright eyes. The blanket had started to fall away from her, so he busied himself pulling it up around her shoulders, while he listened to her calm breathes, bringing his own to the same rhythm.

"I'm fine, Mari," He told her, hardly daring to look up at her face for fear of what he might do. "I just can't believe he would do something like this to you. It's _disgusting_." He spat out the last word like it was poison and she looked at him worriedly, raising her hand to gently stroke what she could see of his cheek.

"I know," She murmured. "But there is a funny part to this story."

He looked down at her liked she'd grown two heads. "What could be funny about that _thing_ upsetting, threatening, and proposing to you in the span of a single meal?" He growled.

Marinette just grinned at him, bouncing up and down in her seat as she reached over for her clutch bag. "You're gonna love this, Shadow." She smirked up at him from her lashes as she deftly flicked it open and took out her phone. She pressed a few icons on the flat screen, which brightened up her face showing her glee, chuckling all the while before she handed him the device. He took the cell in his hands and hooted at the image before him, laughing so hard at the sight of his father completely soaked that he thought his lungs would give out. Giggling at the site of her friend's reaction, Marinette extricated her arm from the blanket, an elbow on the back of the chaise propped her head up with her hand on her cheek as she gazed at her friend happily.

"Told you that it was funny." She smirked up at him again, using her most innocent voice as he turned back to look at her again. He was delighted to see the massive grin on her face and he swore he saw in his mind's eye a twitching black tail from behind her and ears curved from her black locks in the shape of devil horns, her eyes practically glowing from the blue light coming off of the screen from the TV, just like a cat that got the cream and was going in for more.

"It really is," He admitted, his own grin feeling like it would split his cheeks. "Please, send it to me."

"Absolutely, I'd never deprive you of this joy." She stated happily, taking back the phone to it send it via text. She was suddenly overjoyed at her decision to take the photo as he handed over his number. When he wasn't looking, she saved it in her contacts under Shadow, adding a few cake emoji's after his name for a giggle. She didn't see him also saving her number but adding a couple of hearts afterwards.

After exchanging their numbers, Marinette stared down at the picture that was slowly beginning to lose its mirth as she realised the enormity of what she had done. She had said no to one of the biggest names in fashion after he had threatened all her friends and family, her gut now felt pieced with worry as she thought about all the things he could do. _He could wreck so many people's lives, all over me…_ Her shoulders shook with it, she didn't realise that she was crying until Shadow wriggled closer to her side, and started wiping her tears away with his cuff.

"Hey, hey, it's OK," He whispered reassuringly as he fussed over her, his own worry making him claw at his lip. "Is there anyone who can maybe stay with you? I can't be here other than at night and I hate the idea of leaving you here alone."

She nodded before she gave a little pause. "Alya and Nino will be back any day now," She told him and he nodded in approval; she had already told him everything about her two best friends and he was confident they would support her no matter what. "But they can't be here all the time, they have their own lives and I don't want to be a burden. My parents should also be back soon, but it's not soon enough and they can't do a thing anyway." She rubbed at her slightly swollen eyes before a sudden flash of anger took over her features and she clenched both hands into fists. "I want so badly to be able to do something, I hate being this useless but I can't do a thing! If I could just hit back at him, even just a tiny bit…" She fell into a disheartened silence but Shadow suddenly jerked his head up and made to move.

"You really want to hit back at him?" He asked her as she gave a short nod. "OK, wait here, I have the perfect thing."

"Wait, you're leaving?" She grabbed the sleeve of his hoodie and held it firmly, looking up at him like a child dropped off on her first day of school who really didn't want their parents to leave. "Don't go yet…"

"I'll be back in five minutes, I promise." He looked at her pleadingly and she eventually let go off his sleeve, grudgingly pulling back her arm and wrapping it around herself. She now felt cold without his body next to hers, he felt warmer than a hot water bottle. Before she could protest, he had sprinted from the room and down the stairs, his footsteps heavy as they rapped out a quick beat in their haste. True to his word, he was back after a few minutes, which was enough time for Marinette to hide herself further in her blanket, wrapping it around herself like she was trying to mummify herself.

When he came back, Shadow was panting slightly and holding up a shoebox triumphantly like it was a trophy. He walked over to Marinette and crouched down in front of her, flicking the corner of the woollen blanket she was cocooned in with a remark of "Cosy", making her blush and huddle into it even more. She watched in fascination as he opened the box, taking out each item inside with extreme care and she noted each one. There was a beautiful silk scarf of pink and blue that shimmered in the dim glow of the nightlight, a bottle of perfume that made her eyes go wide at how expensive it looked, a photograph of a countryside that looked idyllic enough for her to want to be there, and several items of jewellery that made her gasp with their beauty. She freed her arms from the blanket, not caring about the rush of cold she felt as she touched each piece, not believing such beautiful and expensive things were at her fingertips. Her favourite was a golden broach that was shaped like a flower, its five pointed petals made of thin gold that curled around a setting of diamonds and pearls. She traced each one with her finger, cooing softly at how pretty each piece was, not realising how Shadow was staring at her fondly. _Finally,_ he thought, _somebody who also sees the beauty in these things._

"These things," He said, drawing Marinette's attention back to him. "Are something Gabriel Agreste wants to desperately get rid of. He hates what they represent, what they remind him of, and if he ever found them, he would destroy them." He heard Marinette give a little gasp of shock as she then gave him a wary look.

"How do you know so much about him?" She asked. "And how did you get these things? Surely, if he wants them that badly…"

"I've been hiding them." He told her honestly and when she looked at him, she could see the truth of it written in every line of his face. "I've been keeping them safe for somebody for years, he recently found out they still existed, and was furious about it. Believe me, I know him very well, and I've told you I know just how cruel he can be." He gave a dark chuckle before he looked back up at Marinette, his eyes softer as he took both her hands in his. "If you want to fight back at him, hide these for me. Don't let anyone else know you have them and keep them safe. I know it's not much but fighting back like this is all I… _we_ can do."

She looked down at all of the items laid before her, all the beauty that Gabriel wanted wiped from the world, and nodded.

"You'll do it?"

"I'll do it." She answered firmly and when she looked back up, he saw her tears had dried on her cheeks, leaving thin rivers of silver on her skin, but her eyes were now determined as she stared at him. "If he wants these things, he'll have to go through me to get them."

For a moment, all he could do was stare at her. In the growing light, she looked almost like a warrior queen decked out in her silver war paint, ready to go into battle even with only this small action as a strike against her enemy. He himself was surprised when he suddenly leaned over and hugged her tightly, feeling the blanket tickling at his nose as she gave a short genuine laugh, and hugged him back.

"Thank you, princess."

"No, thank you. I really needed this, you've helped me a lot." He saw her looking back down at the broach and a thought struck him. He bent down to scoop it up in his fingers and pushed away the blanket so he could pin it to her dress, careful not to make it inappropriate. Still, he couldn't help blushing slightly as he stepped back to admire it, seeing how it suited her perfectly, glowing from the black dress like it belonged there.

"You can keep it," He told her quickly when he saw her hand move to take it off. "I know the owner of these things would want you to have it. And… I want you to have it." He cut off her protests that it was far too expensive, far too much, with a light kiss to her bruised forehead near the cold compress before he turned to go back to the top of the stairs. "It's nearly morning… I need to go. Are you going to be OK?"

Marinette nodded back dumbly, still feeling a little dazed by his gift.

"OK…" He went to walk away but he found he couldn't without doing one last thing. He walked back to her and picked up her hand, pressing his lips to her knuckles in a firm kiss that he prayed could convey all his emotions better than any words. "Goodnight, Marinette."

"Goodnight." She mumbled but he was already gone, the bakery door was left swinging on its hinges as his feet pounded away. Marinette stared at the spot where moments before he had been standing and she felt her face blushed crimson. She could still feel the peck he had given her like it had been burned into her forehead and now she was blushing like a fool from the way he had kissed and held her hand. _How is it that I'm so strong and proud as Ladybug and yet some boy can make me a blushing mess? I don't even know his name! Still,_ she thought as she looked down at the broach that glowed proudly on her chest, _that doesn't really matter right now. What matters is that we're both somehow caught up in the same situation that is slowly becoming a war and maybe, now we're both on the same side, we have a chance of winning_.

"Marinette?" She turned her head as Tikki shyly emerged from her usual hiding place on the other side of the room, where she had been watching, her button eyes wide as she looked at her, softly smiling. "Are you feeling better now? I was so worried when I saw him carrying you in…"

Marinette smiled back as the kwami flew over to her. "Yes Tikki, I'm much better now," She answered as she landed on her hand and nuzzled her close to her cheek. "Much better."

 _I can't believe how long this got, I have whole stories shorter than this chapter alone! Still I hope you all enjoyed the wild ride!_

 _I also have the great news that Yamina20, who is my collaborator on this story, has started her own version of this story on her profile- it is called Darkest Dark and can be found here_ _s/12165564/1/_ _. Please go and check it out, it is seriously good._

 _Please leave a review!_


	8. Chapter 8

"Uh, sir? It's me." A gruff voice shakily called on a bench near the Pont des Arts, using the disposable phone the man had given his group a few weeks prior. There were supposed to be the four of them there, standing shoulder to shoulder like always, but the other three had been driven to the nearest hospital after their recent encounter. The man shivered at the memory of seeing his comrade's bodies. He'd gotten off light, in comparison, even though he looked like a walking scratching post and his crotch was aching still.

He let out the smallest of sighs so the fearsome man on the other end wouldn't hear him. This was meant to have been their easiest money yet, simply grab the girl and drag her back to this guy. He had expected her to fight back but he hadn't expected her to take down nearly all of them and he hadn't expected her friend to appear and turn them all into mincemeat. Some of his scratches were still bleeding and he had only just managed to convince the nurses at the hospital he didn't need treating himself.

There was a long stretch of silence from the other end and Claude was beginning to hope he could hang up when he was met with a cold reply. "Did you get her?" Claude gulped.

"No, sir." There was more silence for a good twenty seconds making the man break out in a cold sweat. It never bode well when they had to give him a negative answer, making it feel even worse since he was by himself. He remembered what happened to Geoff, another of his friends who hadn't given the man what he asked for. He had been missing for a good long while until his body turned up floating down the Seine a week later without a mark on him. It had been called an accident but they all knew accidents didn't tend to happen much when it came to this strange man.

"What do you mean no!" The incensed response seemed to burn down the line into his ear, making him wince. "How hard is it to capture one slip of a girl?!"

"She wasn't alone, boss! We got interrupted…" The bear-like man whined.

"By who?"

"Chat Blanc." The other end went dead leaving the lone battered man under the bridge to stare at the device. Shakily, he dropped it into his pocket, limping his way over to the black van he'd parked nearby. _I don't envy either of them_ , he thought, thinking of the dark-haired girl that had fought them tooth and nail and the man in the white cat suit who had sent them running. _Nope I don't_.

OOO

Plagg could feel Adrien's anger smouldering inside him as he jogged home, keeping to the shadows as he slipped into the grounds of the Agreste mansion and made his way to the window. Plagg stayed snugly inside the boy's hood, his usual spot for when Adrien wasn't transformed into either Chat Noir or Chat Blanc, and he could tell his charge was close to exploding again. He had been doing so well too… Plagg sighed. He had heard the whole exchange between Adrien and Marinette and he had been at the perfect vantage point to pick up everything. He had seen the way Adrien had stared at her, felt the gentleness in his limbs when he had picked her up from that hard floor and taken her into her home, heard the laughter in his voice when she showed him that picture that Plagg now wanted to frame and hang on every wall in that house. In those few moments with her, Adrien had come so far and been so happy but now he feared that her shock revelation of what Gabriel wanted with her had sent him flying a million steps backwards and he could only hope the damage wasn't as bad as he feared.

The little black god heard the boy grunt angrily as he heaved himself up to his bedroom window and he wanted to growl. If he really did have the ability to curse, he would have cursed the day Adrien had first become Chat Blanc. Only he could see what it was doing to the both of them, how they were both being drained of their emotions and energy. Adrien wasn't as affected as his mind was always focused on other things but Plagg could clearly feel it; he had always had a hankering for cheese but it had never been this bad before where he spent all his time begging for it and it was taking him longer and longer to recuperate from transforming Adrien into Chat Noir when he said a simple "Claws out!" When Adrien became Chat Blanc, Plagg was still sucked into the ring but he had no hold over the boy. He could only stay there, watching powerlessly through his eyes as he took out his rage and new power on the city, striking close to his father's heart in cold revenge. So far that had been enough to keep his emotions in check but Plagg feared what could happen if he once again let it consume him. He had once dared to hope that maybe this could be something of a good thing, that maybe Chat Blanc was a necessary evil for Adrien to unleash all his constrained emotions but it had only served to make him worse. If what he was thinking of happened again, Adrien would be too far gone to pull back and there would be very little Plagg could do to stop it.

The latch clicked loudly like it was tutting at the late hour as Adrien pulled himself onto the windowsill and let himself in, closing it behind him with a bang and not caring how the glass rattled. He threw off his hoodie, ignoring his kwami as he chucked it on his bed. Plagg flew out from the messy folds and glared at him, rubbing his small head as he snapped.

"Oy! Do you mind? Be a bit more considerate next time, I'm immortal not invincible!"

"Sorry Plagg," Adrien's ingrained politeness came to the surface as he truly sounded sorry but then his eyes narrowed again as he looked back out in the direction of the bakery. "I just… I can't believe he would do something like that! Not only does he send her all those things and make her miserable, he then threatens her and everyone she cares about before telling her that? It's disgusting, how can he want her in that way? She's my age, does he really think people will be accepting of him having a wife the same age as his son? He can't and he won't have her!" His fists were clenched so tightly, his nails were leaving deep marks and his voice was growling like a cats whose mate had just been threatened. "I'll kill him before he can lay a hand on her!"

"Adrien, it won't come to that!" Plagg told him, flying closer to his face as the boy was filled with jealous anger. "You remember what she said, she was just as disgusted by it! She'd never go with him and you know it!"

"I know but he could force her, he's already tried to blackmail her…" Adrien visibly looked pale and Plagg felt a shudder go through him as well. The image of Gabriel Agreste's long pallid fingers ghosting over Marinette's skin and his bloodless lips on her full pink ones made both of them feel sick and it only served to fire Adrien up more. "Don't you see? He did the same thing with Mum! He took a beautiful caring person and he ground them down to their breaking point before he destroyed them! I won't let him take another precious person from me! I won't!"

"Adrien…" Plagg started to say before a sudden white blinding light filled the room, making him jump away and Adrien cry out in fright. They both scrambled to get away from it as it seemed to get brighter, completely drenching everything they saw in its brightness and even when they closed their eyes, all they could see was the glowing whiteness like an expanse of snow burned into their retinas. Slowly, as it dimmed slightly and focused on the centre of the room, they could open their eyes and see a form was appearing in the centre, blending with the light as it constantly shifted and took shape. Another burst of light rocked the room and made both Adrien and Plagg dive down again before the world seemed to grow dim and they could hear a light chuckling shake the air around them.

"Plagg?" Adrien asked shakily as his hands reached out in front of him, the world now looking dark through his punished eyes. "What just happened…?"

"Hold on kid, I'm not sure." Plagg's own eyes felt hazy and darkened and he had to blink several times before the room looked normal again. He peered over at the centre of the room where the light had seemed to originate, where a white blob was floating around in mid-air. Adrien poked his head up and stared at it too, watching as it shook each of its limbs in turn and looked at them in wonder.

"I'm… I'm here. I have a body, I'm here!"

"Shit!" Plagg suddenly yelled out as the white blob turned around and gave him an ear-splitting grin that was eerily familiar. "This is just… shit!"

"Good to see you too Plagg." The white blob said sarcastically, floating over to them both with its small arms crossed. "How long has it been, a few hundred years since I saw you last? I thought you'd be happy to see me after so long apart." He gave another wicked grin as Plagg fumed at him, flipping upside down and giving him a little cheeky wave. "Don't tell me you still hold a grudge."

"A grudge?!" Plagg spat in disgust. "Is that what you call it? I don't have a grudge, I detest you! I didn't want to see you a few hundred years ago and I never wanted to see your stupid face again, especially not now!"

"Wait…" Adrien eyes, finally adjusted to the normal lighting, stared at them both in confusion as two heads turned to look at him. "I… I still don't get this… what was…"

"Don't you dare…" Plagg growled at the white blob, his voice an angry warning but he was too late as it had already flown over to Adrien with a smile.

"Ah yes, you haven't met me properly before have you?" It grinned again as Adrien continued to stare at it, unable to believe his eyes. The creature hovering before his face looked like an exact carbon copy of Plagg right down to the wide cat ears, thin cat eyes and wispy tail at flicked out as he talked. The only differences were that instead of black, its body was entirely ghostly white and its eyes were a glowing yellow colour that flickered with specks of gold. He smiled, showing off canines that were longer and sharper than Plagg's, and opened his arms with a flourish. "My name is Epidd and I'm the one responsible for making you Chat Blanc."

"What?" Adrien stared at the new creature as he cavorted in the air before him, grinning in glee as he tested out his limbs. "You're… you're a kwami too?"

"A fucking parasite more like." Plagg grumbled under his breath but Adrien didn't hear his cursing as Epidd spoke over him.

"In a manner of speaking yes," He spoke cheerfully, still ignoring Plagg. "I come from a deep part of the ring but I have all its dark potential stored in me. That's why I'm so powerful." He gave a smug grin at that, spinning slowly in the air like he was floating in space before he focused back on Adrien. "But I can only be awaked by the emotions of the ring's wielder, strong emotions like anger or sadness or despair… pretty much all the negative destructive ones. You gave me a real feast when you found out about your mother Adrien, all that deep dark rage was simply _divine_." He smacked his lips loudly like he could still taste it there and his eyes squeezed shut in bliss. "And now your jealous anger just then was enough to grant me this new body. I didn't know if it would happen but you were just so angry…" He beamed at Adrien like he was a marvel and smacked his lips again. "Jealousy is so light and spicy-I really have to thank you."

"Thank you?!" Plagg sounded even more enraged than he had before. "Thank you for draining him of his energy and emotions?! How can he do that when you can so easily spell his doom?!" The black kwami flew between the two of them, his force sending Epidd shooting backwards before he looked at Adrien dead in the eyes. "Adrien, seriously, do not listen to a word this fiend says. He's pure evil, he's only using you to get this body and he's going to continue until there's nothing of you left…"

"Hey, we have a deal going!" Epidd protested as he came shooting right back like a silver bullet. "He agreed to me draining him the moment he said destructive claws out! That's the way it works-I give him the power to get what he wants and then I can use his emotions to fuel myself, it's perfect! I don't see you helping him anyways Plagg! You're powerless compared to me-what use are a few comforting words if they don't mean anything coming from your cynical ass?"

"You dare…" Plagg's eyes glared murder at his white counterpart as he slowly started to drift towards him, ready for a fight. "You can't say a thing about my charges, not after what you do to them! I stood by and saw what you did to Tomas, I won't let that happen again you piece of dried shi-"

"Wait!" Adrien suddenly stepped between the two, holding his hands out to keep them apart as he stared at them both evenly. "Can you two please stop fighting? I know you both don't like each other and I know you've been arguing for millennia but can you maybe try to put all that away and get along?"

"Get along with him?" Plagg snapped with a loud snort. "I'd sooner get along with the dirt on your shoes or the mites that make my Camembert than that stupid piece of darkness! If you knew what he could do…"

"But he hasn't done it." Adrien pointed out. "Like you both said, he's powerful but he's only used it when I asked him. I can talk to him when I'm Chat Blanc and I don't believe he's pure evil. I mean look at him," He turned to stroke a finger under his chin and at once Epidd gave a roaring purr, sounding like a vintage motor car as he nuzzled into the boy's finger. "He looks just like you."

"Tch." Plagg snorted again, though his heart felt warmed by his comment. _He surely can't think of me so highly that anything that looks like me must be good?_ He thought as he closely watched them both. "You cannot be serious Adrien."

"I am." He answered, his eyes shining with an innocent hope that he could mend thousands of years of hatred. "I really want you two to get along, after all, we are now all sharing the same space." He gave a smile. "Now I have two friends with me."

Plagg could have sworn a stake had been rammed into his heart when he heard that comment as he stared at his smiling charge. Part of him was flabbergasted that he could consider this thing a friend but the rest of him just felt saddened at how lonely he must truly feel if he was ready and willing to welcome such a viper into his bosom. _This softness of mine is going to kill me_ , he thought with an internal sigh. _How is it that this one kitten can do this to me?_

He gave a grunt and crossed his arms, firmly looking away from the both of them as Adrien continued to fuss his new kwami and Epidd revelled in having a body to be fussed. "Alright, I'll try," He said before adding quickly "But not if that white demon doesn't!"

"I'll try!" Epidd said happily, leaping away from Adrien to attempt giving Plagg a hug that he instantly threw off. "I really want to put everything, especially Tomas, behind us so how about we clean this slate, hmm?" The smile he gave nearly made him reconsider but under the wide naïve eyes of Adrien, Plagg couldn't refuse and he gave a curt nod before pushing Epidd away.

"Fine."

"Yes!" Adrien clapped his hands excitedly before he pulled Plagg into a tight hug. The kwami would have usually tried to fight it but he knew now it was really no use trying-his arms were just too strong. It wasn't like he enjoyed the spontaneous bursts of affection, he was just conserving his energy. "Thank you Plagg, I knew you could both do it! Now Epidd, let me show you around… this is my bed, we can all easily sleep on that, it's far too big for me and that's my desk and oh I have to show you the cheese fridge, I hope you like Camembert…"

He went on happily babbling as Epidd stared after him eagerly, a wicked smile spreading across his face as he watched him greedily. Plagg gave a snarl which caused him to turn around innocently but the little black god wasn't fooled at all as he flew close to him so his face was hovering millimetres in front of his.

"Don't even think about it." He hissed lowly, every word heavy with threat. "You may think I'm powerless but I swear to every deity there is, if you so much as hurt a hair on his head I will destroy you. I won't let you do this again, you hear me?"

For a brief moment, Epidd looked surprised at Plagg's sudden outburst before a slow sick grin spread across the features that just a moment before had been called cute but now were anything but. "Noble words Plagg," He hissed at him. "Getting sentimental after all this time? I wondered when that stupid heart of yours would crack and all the mush would spill out."

Plagg would have sunk his teeth into him at that exact moment had he not then went on to say words that sent ice flooding through his veins. "But one thing… You and I both know how far this has already gone. As for letting me do anything… face it, you don't have a choice."


	9. Chapter 9

Two days after that eventful night at the restaurant, Alya and Nino's plane touched down safely on French soil. Marinette was there to greet them at the airport; she would have done anyway but now as she stood there in front of the giant glass wall that separated her from the plane, there was an underlying sense that she just needed to make sure they were safe. The last two days had been suspiciously quiet as neither her nor Gabriel had made a move. He hadn't attempted to contact her in any way and she hadn't called the police- why would she when she knew they were probably all in his pocket anyway? This had made her incredibly wary and she had been scared that she would hear something horrible had happened to her two friends but when she saw them both coming towards her in the terminal, Alya running at full tilt whilst Nino dragged their luggage behind her, all her fears melted away and she found herself whooping and cheering at them like she didn't have a care in the world.

"MARINETTE!" Alya yelled out joyfully as she reached her best friend and at once scooped her into a hug so tight, Marinette was surprised she could breathe afterwards. "It's so good to see you again, I was beginning to forget what you looked like!"

Marinette laughed out loud as she embraced her friend. "You've only been gone a few weeks Alya!"

"Yeah but it felt like forever girl!" Alya almost whined as Nino finally caught up with them both, huffing slightly over the weight of Alya's two giant suitcases and his own meagre one that pretty much just had his DJing stuff inside. "I wish you could have come with us, that would have made it even better than it was!"

"I know, but you know I had the bakery to look after." Marinette said, fixing a smile on her face as she wondered how different things could have ended up if she had travelled Europe with them. True, it could have been really awkward at some points and with both of them working, she could have been twiddling her thumbs a lot but then she wouldn't have had to deal with Gabriel and this entire sordid mess she had suddenly been tangled up in like a fly in a web. However, if she had gone, she would never have met Shadow… and she honestly didn't want to think of a world without him now. "Was the trip good?"

"Good? Mari we've had the time of our lives!" Nino grinned, giving her a small hug as he dropped the cases and gave himself a breather. "Everywhere was incredible and the work was so great! All the places I performed had really rad energy and so many asked me to come back, it was wild!"

"Same here," Alya beamed proudly as she slung one arm around her boyfriend's shoulders. "Everyone in London loved what I did with the story, they said I had real raw talent! I couldn't believe it!"

"C'mon Al, we all know you have it," Nino replied with a smile before he lightly pecked her forehead. "Those people would have been real idiots if they hadn't seen your potential."

"Shut up Nino." Alya responded as she pushed him away but they both knew she was secretly pleased. "And hurry up with those bags, they won't carry themselves to the car!"

"But most of this is your stuff!" Nino called after her but it was too late; Alya had already grabbed Marinette's arm and was firmly leading her away, launching into a long chat about their travels. Marinette shot an apologetic smile over her shoulder before letting herself be dragged away. It felt like she hadn't seen her friends in years and so she was glad to listen to Alya's animated chatting (with Nino occasionally jumping in to add details, after the bags were in the boot of their car) as they drove to the bakery. Marinette had asked them if they wanted to drop their stuff off at their flat first, but the pair of them had shot the idea down instantly; Alya had complained that they both really wanted to see her after such a long absence and Nino had made it very clear that he wanted some pastries. "The food in most of those places was really good," He had admitted over the phone during their last conversation before landing. "But it doesn't really compare to a home-cooked French pastry and no pastries can compare to yours!"

So, that was how the three of them found themselves up in Marinette's room, sitting cross-legged in a circle on the floor like they had when they were kids, balancing plates on their laps as they dug into an array of cream cakes and iced buns. Marinette had wanted to make more things for her two best friends but she had kept back some of her fancier pastries for Shadow. She couldn't explain why she had, it was like her body had gone on auto-pilot as she did so, but she knew she wouldn't change her mind. She knew somewhere deep in her mind she wanted to impress him and that much was understandable given how there was now an attraction between them that she couldn't deny, but she also got the odd feeling that somehow he needed them more. _It's all really strange_ , she thought. _What has that boy done to me…_

"Yoo-hoo, Marinette!"

The girl jumped and gave a squeak as Alya's loud voice directly in her ear catapulted her from her thoughts, causing her to nearly drop her plate and tread cream into her carpet. Nino laughed at the scared sound that escaped her lips, she glared at them both as Alya shot her an innocent grin, and gave a wave.

"Oh man Mari, you should have seen your face… you looked so freaked out!"

"I was freaked out!" She snapped at them both, saving her iciest glare for Alya. "What was that for?"

"You were spacing out girl!" Alya told her, wagging a finger at her disapprovingly. "I asked you a question and you were just completely out of it! I've told you a million times, you need to focus more on what people are staying or you'll get in a sticky situation one day!"

"Alright, Mother." Marinette replied scathingly, annoyed at the comment before she softened a little. Infuriatingly, Alya was in the right like she nearly always was and she knew it was rude to just not listen to people, even if you did have a lot on your mind. "I'm sorry. What did you ask me again?"

"I asked if you'd been following the news on this Chat Blanc!" Alya said excitedly. "It was on all the news channels in Europe, so you had to have seen it! I've never seen anything like it in my life, 'Rogue Cat Figure Attacks Multi-National Company…' It's totally insane! I can't believe this happened when I was out of the country, I mean, couldn't he have waited a few weeks before he launched his terrorist attacks?"

"Terrorists attacks?" Marinette gulped. "Is that what they are calling them?"

"It's what most people are," Nino answered, nodding sagely. "There are some people who are kinda in support of him trying to bring down the corperation but on the whole that's what everybody's saying. You can't blame them really- he has caused an awful lot of damage, did you see the wreckage that was left when that logo from the building fell? It's a miracle nobody's been seriously hurt yet, let alone killed."

"But… I don't think he would do that." Marinette heard herself saying before she could stop the words coming out. "He wouldn't want people to get hurt, he's just making a point."

"Really?" Alya asked, her eyebrow raised to the point where it was buried in her hair. "Why would you think that? Do you know him or something?" Her eyes glinted like a predator's when they spotted a meek unsuspecting bit of prey and Marinette's mind raced to quickly backtrack. She knew that look anywhere-that look meant Alya was going to dig and dig until she got what she wanted.

"Of course I don't know him!" She spluttered, ignoring how Alya crossed her arms and just stared at her. "It's just… I know someone who's seen him. He said Chat Blanc helped him when he was in a sticky situation and he could have just left him there but he didn't. I think that shows he isn't a bad guy."

"Wait, what happened to him?"

"Well… he was stuck in this alleyway, there were these guys trying to mug him and he yelled for help and there was no one there… but then suddenly he turned away and there were all these noises and when he looked back, the thugs had all been beaten up and he saw Chat Blanc running away." Marinette could feel her insides internally cringing at every word. She guessed it wasn't a total lie… just a half one mixed with a smattering of truth and a side dish of total fantasy.

"Wow, that sounds crazy man!" Nino gaped, sounding impressed but Alya was still looking at her suspiciously.

"Wait a minute…" She went and Marinette could feel her stomach pinch in panic. "What the heck was this guy doing to get mugged like that? Did he run into a dead end or something? And how did he know that was Chat Blanc and not some random person who decided to help? Who even is this guy? He doesn't sound like anyone we know."

"Err… well you don't know him." Cursing her mouth for speaking like that, Marinette spoke slowly as she tried to think of something, anything to divert her suspicious friend from going full investigative journalist on her. "I only met him a little while ago. He came by the bakery one time and we got talking and…"

It was only after she said it that she realised what it sounded like and she slapped her hand over her lips but the damage was already done. Nino and Alya were both grinning like cats that had just discovered a lake of cream and Alya's eyes were now shining as she forgot all her earlier questions to focus on this new information.

"No way, that sounds so cute! What's he like? Is he cute? Have you two done anything yet? Mari, you're meant to tell me these things, I need to be prepared to give you "the talk…""

"You don't need to give me "the talk!"" Marinette quickly, dreading what that could mean coming from her best friend. "And we aren't _dating_! He's just a friend, that's all, we've only just started talking and stuff, I don't even know him that well!" She wasn't sure how much of a lie that really was; on one hand she felt like she knew him better than anyone else, she could read him in ways she couldn't read other people that she had known for years, but on the other hand she didn't even know his real name, let alone where he lived or anything like that. It was confusing but either way he had still gotten under her skin, burrowing himself there so she couldn't ever forget what an impact he had had on her.

Alya gave her a long look, as if trying to assess how truthful she was being, before she finally seemed to relent a little. "Alright, I believe you," She smiled gleefully. "But I want details right now Marinette and I'm not leaving your room until I get some!"

She flashed a victorious smile as she bit into a cake and Marinette groaned. This looked like it would be a long visit.

OOO

A few hours later, after practically having to shoo her curious friends from her door, Marinette crept up her ladder to the roof and surveyed the skyline as the sun began to dip behind the buildings, splashing the sky with red as it went.

"Tikki, spots on!" She cried out as Tikki gave a nod and a few seconds later, she was swinging away from the bakery, hanging from the end of her yoyo as she swept through the air. She gave a small guilty glance back at the bakery as it slowly became another dot in the distance, hoping Shadow wouldn't turn up too early that night; she needed to get this patrol done first. Ladybug was far more important than that, although it pained her a little, she was soon away and making her rounds as the sky got slowly darker.

She landed on a rooftop once she was halfway across the city and she took a moment to think as she stood by the edge and just watched the city. It was a guilty pleasure of hers, taking the time to admire the beauty of the thrumming landscape as its heart continued to beat, but her brain was too crowded to properly appreciate it as it was filled with thoughts of the strange figure that her friends had earlier called a terrorist. What could she make of him? He was relentlessly pursuing the Agreste company, seemingly wanting to torture its owner, and he was causing thousands in damages and widespread fear… yet he had saved her life. It just made no sense to her. Why would this vigilante rescue a random stranger? She nibbled at her bottom lip, the small pain not clearing her head like she had hoped and she groaned softly into the night. She really didn't know what to make of this Chat Blanc character, since they had never even met. Chat Noir had claimed to have never seen him but something about it all just didn't feel right.

She shook her head as she started her patrol but instead of taking her usual route, she decided to try another and she veered off to the left as she circled the Eiffel Tower. _Maybe this one will be quicker and I can get back to the bakery sooner_ , she thought, brightening at the prospect of seeing Shadow as she whipped through the air on the lookout. The streets seemed to be quiet and she wondered if maybe that was the influence of Chat Blanc _. News spreads quickly in the underworld,_ she grimaced. _Maybe he puts people off coming out at night? At least that is one benefit of having him around, though I still don't like it._

She took another left and she found herself sailing down a street that she knew led to the Arc De Triomphe. Wasn't that where that crazy book akuma was? She thought, the memories of that day crushing her spirits. That was when all the rot set in, she realised darkly, that was when it all went so badly wrong. _What I wouldn't give to go back and change it all…_

Suddenly, a shadow flickered in the corner of her eyes and it made her lose concentration. She nearly lost her balance, she was only saved from crashing into a wall by her quick-thinking as she sharply pulled on the yoyo string, and slowed herself down enough to brace. Her legs slammed against the side of a house but she barely felt it as she turned her head to where she had seen something sneak by on the roof. She stayed still but she couldn't hear or see anything. _Am I going mad?_ She wondered before she slowly began to pull herself up towards the roof, being as quiet as possible. She wasn't even sure why she was doing this, she should be brushing herself off and carrying on with patrol, but something inside her was telling her to investigate and she was determined to get to the bottom of this.

She hauled herself up and onto the roof before she stealthily went to peer over it. At first, she could barely see a thing, not having Chat Noir's night vision and she was almost about to give up when she saw the shadow again as it ran across a rooftop in front of her. It was moving fast, running like it was being chased as it fled, leaping and jumping like there was nothing there. She stared at it mesmerised for a few seconds, hardly daring to believe what she was seeing but the sudden wail of sirens shook her out of it and she shot up as she began to give chase.

She hurled her yoyo across the road and yanked herself over to the other rooftops where she then began running after the shadow. She went as fast as she could, her feet pounding harshly on the tiles beneath her and making them crack but she could see she wasn't gaining any ground as the figure was only just staying in her line of sight. She puffed out her cheeks and pushed harder but still the gap didn't seem to be closing. _How can they be going so fast?_ She huffed angrily, keeping her eyes on the figure as they then almost ran under a small patch of light coming from a security alarm. They only just managed to avoid it but she still saw it; the tiniest glimpse of a white clawed hand and it nearly ground her heart to a halt. _Was it really… him?_ She couldn't believe it but the chorus of sirens getting louder behind her forced her to think again and she set her teeth determinedly. _This needs to be finished now._

Her eyes darted to her right and she saw an opening where the road curved. _If I could swing round there, I'd get much closer to him,_ she thought decisively before she acted, throwing the yoyo as hard as she could over towards a TV antenna where it wrapped itself around it and stood firm. She then jumped up into the air, tucking her legs underneath her as she let her momentum drag her through the air and around the bend in the street, closer to the sprinting Chat Blanc. She could see he knew he was being followed as he now seemed to be getting desperate, his running erratic as he went between running on two legs and running on all fours, like a hunting cheetah. The movements were strangely familiar but she refused to let that bother her as she landed and took off running after him, not letting up for a second. Her one action had split the gap between them in half and now she was edging closer and closer with each step, her success pushing her further before she was soon almost on him.

"Stop!" She shouted after him, not expecting him to do anything but he suddenly smashed his feet into the ground and skidded to a halt, sending little pieces of tile flying in all directions as he halted right on the edge of the street. She stopped too, ending up a few metres away as he kept his head down. He was at a dead end. He was precariously close to the edge and the only thing below was a ribbon of tarmac that would nowhere near cushion his impact. He couldn't have reached the nearest rooftop with just a jump and both of them knew it; the air stilled and the only noises they could hear were the distant crying sirens and the pants of their own chests as they heaved for oxygen. Ladybug still stared him down, ignoring how exhausted her body was as she threw a scathing question through the air.

"Who are you?"

He raised his eyes to meet her own but he didn't say a word as she froze at the sight of his face. The lines of his expression were stern, daring her to step closer under the ice of his mask but his amber eyes were glowing like honey as he watched her closely, flickering with gold. She could see how tense his long claws were as they hung by his sides and his belt tail flicked once as if trying to expel it. He looked ready to move, every muscle outlined by white leather flexed, and she didn't know whether he was going to attack her or run for it but she couldn't think of that right now. All she could think of was his fluffy wild blond locks, the shape of his domino mask, even the slits of black pupils that viewed her so coldly… every inch of him looked like Chat Noir, yet in a crudely twisted caricature that filled her with fear.

 _What the heck is this?_ Her mind scrambled to find something to explain this but she couldn't think of anything. _Is this one of Hawkmoth's minions? Had he found a way to create delusions? Oh god, her partner hasn't been akumatised, has he?_ She forced her mind to be still as his unwavering gaze made her shudder and she spoke again even firmer than before.

"Who are you?"

Still he didn't speak, he just continued to stare. Then, very slowly as if not to alarm her, he raised his arms out to his sides, making his body resemble the shape of a cross. His feet inched the tiniest bit closer to the ledge so now the tips of his ankles were lurching out into thin air. Her eyes widened as she realised what he was about to do.

"Wait, stop-"

This time he did make a sound, a long throated hiss that made her step back. Before she could do anything else, he had already gone; he fell backwards, twisting his body in mid-air and for a moment looking like a gymnast about to launch into a spectacular routine before he plummeted. She ran to the edge, expecting to hear a sickening crunch and see red mix in with the grey on the ground but when she did finally have the courage to look down, there was nothing there. She looked frantically up and down the street, searching for a streak of white but there was nobody there in the deserted street. Her breathing was coming in long gasps, she almost wanted to retch as feeling returned to her numbed insides, but she stayed frozen on the ledge for what seemed like hours before she eventually walked away and swung back to the bakery, all thoughts of Shadow or anything else gone from her mind.

Ladybug destransformed as she landed on her bed and flopped her body over the covers. Tikki floated above her, a look of worry etched on her cute features as she saw the look of shock and concern play about the young girl's face. She quietly drifted over to the window, hoping Shadow would be waiting to be let in but when she didn't see his dark figure she knew he wouldn't be showing up that night to comfort her extremely stressed user.

"Marinette," The kwami asked, even though she already knew the answer, having been fused with her. "What's wrong?"

"I saw him, Tikki." Came the barely whispered reply.

"Who?"

"Chat Blanc." Marinette's voice started to tremble. "Tikki, he looked _so much_ like Chat Noir, the blonde hair, his facial features, his build, the style of his suit, even the way he ran on all fours on the rooftops!" She cried out, panic rising inside her at the memory. Her kwami came over to her shoulder, rubbing her head against the teen's cheek, and chirring comfortingly to her friend.

"Can we, Chat or I, be Akumatized?" Marinette whispered out her fear.

"No, kwami are able to help their Chosen's get through their darker emotions, to keep them from becoming a beacon for Hawkmoth's Akumas. That's why it hasn't happened to either of you after all this time. Even if you did, your forms would be different from the ones you both take when transformed, it would be based off of your personalities and natural talents. The only way to be Akumatized is if us kwami somehow become emotionally unstable for more than a short period of time," The little bug gently explained. "That kind of event hasn't occured in centuries, besides I would've sensed it when we saw him."

"But I know what I saw wasn't an illusion, he was real. He looked so much like my Kitty... but he wasn't!" Fat tears ran down the Marinette's face. "What would cause him to act that way, to do what he's been doing?"

"We don't know for sure if this Chat Blanc you saw was really the same boy that's been your partner or not. Let's try to not jump to conclusions right away," The kwami soothed as she wiped the girl's tears with her little paws. "It's been a very long day and you've had a horrible month, you need to get some sleep. When you wake up and we're not too busy, we'll be able to discuss this better with clear heads."

Marinette nodded her head dully. She went down the steps of her ladder, changed and got ready for bed, Tikki helped by brushing the girl's hair out. Trying to sooth her Chosen as best as she could, normally it would work, but she knew that this would be one of the rare occasions it wouldn't. _I really wish that boy had shown up tonight, they make each other so happy,_ the kwami thought sadly. _I hope he shows up tomorrow._

The girl climbed back up the ladder and heaved a heavy stuttering sigh as she crawled under the covers. Her eyes drooped but her mind still whirled with her fears for her partner and friend. _If only I'd been kinder to him when we fought Book Keeper, if only I'd gone after him after he'd been attacked by Dark Desires! This is all my fault,_ the girl berated herself.

"Stop blaming yourself, Marinette," the kwami gently admonished as she floated above the young designer, her motherly blue eyes gazing down at her Chosen. She could read her like a book and she knew exactly what was going through her mind. "There is nothing you can do right now, except get some rest. I promise, we'll talk about this in the morning."

"Thanks Tikki," the girl weakly smiled up at her. "I'll try to get some shuteye." The kwami then floated down and kissed her young friend on the forehead. She then floated back down on the cat pillow behind the girl's head and hummed an old tune to the teen until she was sure the girl was fast asleep.

That night, Marinette dreamt she was back there, standing on the rooftop as a man dressed like a cat slowly walked closer to her, claws bared and mouth open to expose the thin sharp canines ready, and poised to destroy her. The thing that really disturbed her most about the dream though, were the eyes of her assailant. She never saw them, so she never found out if they were amber or green.


	10. Chapter 10

_Hi everyone and welcome back! I feel so bad this took so long but I've had a lot of work over the last couple of weeks and squeezing this in was a lot harder than I thought. Thank you for all the nice reviews this has gotten since, they have all been very encouraging and hopefully this chapter makes up for it. Enjoy!_

"Shit, shit, shit!" Adrien mumbled repeatedly under his breath as he paced up and down his room like an agitated toddler, all the control he had shown as Chat Blanc just a few moments before completely gone. His fingers were running through his hair like he was trying to crop it and his face screamed panic. "What was I doing? Why did I just stop in front of her?!"

"I don't know kid but it was pretty stupid!" Plagg snapped from his position lounging on the bed. He had been watching him ever since they had got back and detransformed, he was beginning to get sick of this, but he also couldn't shake off the knot of fear in his stomach that was making him act so harshly. "Did that little demon over there absorb all your brainpower as well?" He shot a withering look over at the desk, where the white version of himself was sitting happily on a stack of papers, watching the scene like it was a pantomime. "You were so close to getting clean away, but nope! Why did you stop for crying out loud?!"

"I don't know!" Adrien cried back, finally stopping to glare angrily at the bed and throw his arms up in the air. "She said to stop and… I'm so used to doing what she says that I just did! I couldn't help myself!" He groaned loudly, pressing a fist to his forehead, and not even caring that it left a red mark on his face. "And now she knows what I look like! How long will it be before she pieces it all together, realising Chat Noir and Chat Blanc are the same guy?"

"Hey, calm down, it's not that bad." A voice piped up from the desk, making Adrien swivel round to face it and Plagg growled. "She can't exactly prove that it was you. You may look alike but that could just be an akuma- Hawkmoth's done that before, right? Made people look like others?" Adrien nodded as the white kwami flew over to him, feeling the tiniest bit reassured. "And besides, she never heard your voice. That counts for something, right Plagg?"

"Yeah, I guess you kept your head there kid," Plagg was forced to agree, staring crossly at his opposite with his green eyes thin as needles. "But still, you have to think… is this really all worth it? If she finds out, your only friend will turn against you. Adrien, do you _really_ want to fight her? I know you have feelings for Marinette but you still love Ladybug, don't you?"

"I…I…" Adrien bit his lip, wanting to deny it but knowing his words would be flat and unbelievable if he tried. "Well…"

Plagg felt hopeful at the look on his charge's face as he struggled. Maybe he could turn back if he was having doubts like this… _C'mon Adrien, please see sense…_ He didn't care that he was silently begging, he just wanted this to stop and for things to go back to how they were before. However, all that was once again spoilt when Epidd hovered before the boy's face, blocking his view of Plagg.

"Who said anything about you having to fight Ladybug?" He said, almost sounding chipper as he talked in the smoothest voice he could. "This fight isn't with her, it's with that excuse for a human being you call a father. Ladybug doesn't have anything to do with this, so if you keep avoiding her as Chat Blanc, _nothing_ bad will happen! And besides, if Ladybug is really the best friend you think she is, she would be your ally; doesn't she want to rid Paris of evil, same as we are doing right now?"

"Yeah… yeah she does!" Adrien's face set back into determination. "She's heard all the stories of what that man did to me… I'm sure she would be glad I'm taking a stand!"

"Not like this!" Plagg called over, his eyes focused on Epidd with enough blistering anger in them to set the kwami alight. Epidd's only response was to give a sick grin as he went to perch on Adrien's shoulder, his mouth right next to his boy's ear like a parrot. "Adrien, you can't be…"

"You look tired Adrien, my boy," Epidd cut over the little black god. "You really should hit the hay, before you go to sleep standing up."

Almost like Epidd had pressed a button somewhere, Adrien gave a yawn and his eyes looked ready to close. "Maybe, I should… today has felt really long." He muttered, pausing to remove his jeans and t-shirt before he slid under the covers of the bed. He missed the seething glares that passed between the two matching kwamis that floated at opposites sides of the bed like they were about to start a game of chess, one furious, one mocking. "Night Plagg. Night Epidd."

"Goodnight, Adrien." Epidd smiled down at the dozy body under the sheets, like he was ready to gobble him up and if Adrien hadn't been in the room, Plagg swore he would have tried to rip that grin from the white demon's face. Epidd heard him softly snarling and only stopped to shoot a matching grin at him before he flew over to the desk again, leaving Plagg alone with his confused angry mind.

 _How_ _ **dare**_ _he?!_ He fumed, almost feeling steam pouring from the top of his head in his fury. _He's doing this to try and undermine me, trying to get Adrien to depend on him! This is just like last time but worse! It's sickening! He even called him "my boy!" Only I get to call him that!_ He shot another furious glance over at the desk, even though he couldn't see the white form in the thinning light. _I don't care that I'm almost powerless against you, I'm not going to let you do this again!_

Plagg flew over to the windowsill, diving under the curtains and holding his forehead against coolness of the glass as he tried to think. He knew he could make all the vows in the world, but the fact that he could do nothing against Epidd meant he didn't have that many options. He gave a sigh; there were times when he really wished that the white evil wasn't a crucial part of the ring's power. Destroying him would destroy its strength and that would render Plagg extremely weak. The only benefit to that was Epidd couldn't destroy him either for the same reason, though that was hardly a comfort when all the black kwami wanted to do was be rid of him.

He rubbed his aching temples, feeling the starts of an exhausting headache coming on, as he went over all of his options. Firstly, he could carry on like this and keep trying to persuade Adrien to take his ring off. If he did that then everything would go back to square one and be resolved, but he knew already in his heart, that it wouldn't work- Adrien was too far gone, too drunk on his new power, the freedom it gave him to willingly give it up now. He couldn't forcibly take the ring off as it could only be taken off with the will of the holder, so that wasn't even worth thinking about. Secondly, he could try appealing to Epidd's good side but the thought of that already made his skin crawl. That little piece of hell didn't have a good side, so time spent trying to appeal to it would just be a waste. That just left the third option, one he didn't really want to use but he knew he had no other choice.

Call Tikki.

That little bug always has an answer to everything, he thought with a smile at the thought of his bubbly friend who, besides Master Fu, was the wisest person he knew. She was also kind and caring, so he knew she would help, even just for the sake of her charge and keeping everybody safe. The only thing holding him back was that he knew she would be angry. She had been there, back when Tomas had succumbed, he doubted she would be pleased now, especially after that encounter with Ladybug. The girl had looked distraught when she saw him and he could only imagine what was happening with her now.

He sighed again as he hit his head against the glass. Yep, Tikki was going to kill him. But he didn't have much of a choice.

Plagg closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. When was the last time he had tried to communicate with Tikki like this? _It must have been back in the Victorian era_ , he wondered with a little huff, _I'm so out of practise…_ Ignoring that fact, he cleared his mind and focused all his energy on his one goal- reaching Tikki's own mind. As their miraculous were the Yin and Yang to each other, the kwamis had discovered they shared a special bond only a few thousand years before, that allowed them to communicate in this fashion, using only their minds to reach each other. Once, they had used it a lot to try to work out where the other was, to try and lure their charges together. But once the Turtle Miraculous weilder of that time had explained the huge importance of fate in the miraculous coming together on their own, the kwamis had agreed to only use it in cases of emergency. _Well_ , Plagg thought as he tried to get through, _if_ _ **this**_ _doesn't count as an emergency, I don't know what does._

For a few long minutes, he strained and strained, putting all his mental energy into finding her, but nothing seemed to be happening. At one point, he thought he had a connection but then Adrien behind him groaned in his sleep, jolting him out of his concentration. The black cat god was almost on the verge of giving up, when he heard a small tentative voice echo in his ear, sounding so clear the holder could have been sitting next to him.

 _"_ _Plagg? Is that you?"_

 _"_ _Tikki? Oh thank goodness, do you know how long I've been trying to reach you?"_

 _"_ _Yeah, I know. You're not the only one out of practise."_ Her voice was clipped and strained; he could sense the underlying anger beneath the softness of her tone and it made him gulp before he said his next words.

 _"_ _We need to talk about what happened earlier."_

 _"_ _Yes, we do."_ She answered, now definitely sounding angry. _"_ _I only just got my charge to sleep after what she just saw."_

 _"_ _Same here,"_ Plagg sighed, as he angled his head to look at the sleeping form of Adrien. His blonde hair was buried deep in the pillow, some clinging to his forehead damply as he tossed and turned in the maze of sheets, his mouth open as little whines kept escaping, and his face creased up in angst. Plagg struggled to keep the connection up as he stared over at the boy who was clearly in the throes of a really bad nightmare. He felt bad about having to face Tikki, but he knew he had to do it for Adrien's sake. _"_ _Where should we meet?"_

 _"_ _Eiffel Tower, soon as you can get there."_ Tikki snapped at him before her voice disappeared and he let out a long breath, relieved at not having to concentrate so hard any longer. Not wanting to keep her waiting, making her even angrier, he flew up to the window latch and gently eased it open. It creaked, he hesitated but the room didn't stir and he was able to slip out through a small gap into the breezy night air. As he closed the window, he looked back at Adrien and saw him mumble a word that looked suspiciously like Ladybug. He shook his head as he pushed himself from the window and flew away. He really hoped Tikki had a solution; at this rate she was looking like his only chance.

OOO

When Plagg reached the Eiffel Tower a few minutes later, Tikki was already there, waiting for him. She was sitting on one of the beams right at the very top, high enough so that no humans, not even the guards patrolling the highest level could see them, with her tiny red feet swinging over the edge and her arms crossed over her chest. Scowling, she heard Plagg warily approaching but she didn't turn her head to watch him, steadfastly ignoring him until she heard him clear his throat to speak.

"So… lovely evening, huh?"

For some reason, that sentence seemed to enflame her already smouldering anger and, without saying a word, her arm lashed out, catching him around the face, delivering a satisfying crack in the silent night air. He staggered back, flipping over in mid-air from the impact as he clutched his cheek, staring back in surprise and in fear. If Tikki had been pushed this far, he realised, things must be really bad at her end too.

"Is that all you can say?!" She shouted, all her pent-up anger she had been keeping from Marinette unleashing on her fellow kwami. "You somehow let Chat Blanc out again, Ladybug has just seen him, she is freaking out right now, and all you can do is comment on how lovely the evening is?!" The red kwami's wide button eyes felt like knives in his chest, as Tikki looked both furious enough to rip him apart and close to tears. "Do you know why it took such a long time for me to contact you and why you couldn't get through? I was having to comfort the poor girl because she was CRYING! It's not going to be long before she starts asking Chat Noir about it and if that boy is anything like your usual kittens, this is all going to **explode** **in our faces**!"

She groaned loudly, in exasperation as she pressed both her paws to her forehead, squeezing a pang of guilt from Plagg. He knew everything was bad but seeing Tikki put it that way made everything a _whole_ lot worse. He knew she was right- if Adrien ever got confronted about Chat Blanc, he would panic, go on the defensive, and there was no way of telling how badly that could go.

"I'm sorry." He finally said, causing Tikki to look at him strangely. "I really should have called you sooner… things have been going wrong there for a long, long time."

"I thought so," Tikki replied. "Ma-my charge has been saying quite a lot recently that Chat Noir has been acting weird, I've heard a lot about his upbringing, and it truly sounds awful. Is it really that bad?"

"Sadly, it's even worse," Plagg said as Tikki gave a look of horror. "The boy was always on the verge of breaking and that day when Dark Desires used her powers on him, it shattered him completely. It was enough to spark off the powers in the ring and now Epidd is floating around like he owns the boy." He stopped to sigh, seeing how Tikki's eyes widened in terror when she heard the white demon was free from the confines of the ring. "I tried to stop him, I really did Tikki…"

"I know you did." Tikki gently flew over and put her hand on his shoulder, leading him back to the knitted metal beams of the tower, so he could sit down. She was still mad after the long time she had spent comforting Marinette and seeing the girl close to scared but at the same time, she knew Plagg wasn't the one she had to hate. "I know the last thing you would ever want, would be a repeat of what happened to Tomas."

At the mention of the name, Plagg tensed up and he looked away, his attention suddenly dragged to the moon that sat above them, observing them like it was interested in how this discussion was going to play out. He didn't say a word and the silence stretched out around them like a noose as she edged closer.

"You couldn't have stopped it; we both know the extent of that creature's powers, and by the end he wouldn't have listened to anyone. He was just so in love and so in pain…"

"I know." Plagg said softly, not wanting to revisit this. They had never had that conversation addressing what had happened all that time ago and he wasn't about to have it now, not when there was something so much more pressing in mind. "That's the problem, this is so similar it's scary, my charge, he's in such a state of confusion, he's one of the best so far and I can't… I _can't_ watch him do that to himself Tikki, this is too much self-destruction, even for me."

"This one's really got under your skin, hasn't he?" Tikki had to give a parody of a smile at her friend seemingly showing affection, but as she expected, he didn't say anything. "I can't blame you, my girl is exactly the same- there's just so much potential greatness inside her and she just doesn't see it, she's so self-degrading…"

"Yeah, mine's the same," Plagg said with a dry chuckle and they both shared a warm glance, like two fond teachers talking about their favourite pupils. "He thinks he's next to worthless, when he's the furthest thing from it. Man, Fu really knows how to pick 'em."

"Well, they do seem perfect for each other, if they would ever realise it." Tikki said and they both had to give a small laugh. They had done this so many times now but the human heart and the complexities that lay within still never failed to amaze or amuse them.

The laughter quickly died though, as Plagg looked back over in the direction of the Agreste manor, where he knew a troubled boy would still be rolling around, trapped in his nightmarish dream world, with his reality not being much better. "Tikki," He finally said, every word like a weight. "What do I do?"

She blinked at him before she gave a sigh and looked down at the ground threateningly below them. "I don't know Plagg," She said honestly after a few moments of breathless silence. "If he's as far gone as you say and that little wart has such a strong grip on him, I don't see much we can do."

"I know but I can't just do nothing, _again_!" Plagg spat out, wanting to feel angry at Tikki for already sounding defeated, but he knew there was no point when it was his fault anyway.

"Epidd's only going to manipulate him further, I can already see it happening and I hate that it's happening right in front of my eyes!" He seethed, his tiny black paws gripping the cold metal of the tower but it quickly left him when he saw how worried Tikki looked. "There has to be _something_."

"Just keep talking with him." She eventually said, her blue eyes steady as they stared carefully into his own. "You have your own influence over him, he is your charge after all, and nothing can break that bond. Argue with him, appeal to the boy, make sure he always has some doubt in his mind after listening to Epidd. That way, he can't fully succumb to him, and he won't be so drained."

"But that's barely anything!" Plagg snapped and now he looked close to tears, frustrated at how useless he was. "That will be a drop in the ocean compared to everything that devil can do!"

Tikki floated over to him, nearly crying in her compassion as she tenderly put her arms around him. At first he froze up, unsure of what he was doing but then his head sagged onto her shoulder, and she smiled when his own arms hugged her back, both of them trying to find a moment of comfort in this scary situation.

"I know it's not much," She whispered, looking up at the night sky and trying not to think of the horrors that would surely come. "But it's the best we can do."

OOO

Two nights later, Ladybug sat on the very top of Notre Dame, watching the city beneath her ebbing and flowing as the night slowly moved in. She was ten minutes early for her arranged patrol with Chat Noir; she had known she was going to be left waiting, but she had felt so agitated cooped up in the bakery that anything would have been preferable, even waiting up here in the cold. She barely felt the chill as she paced along the top of the roof, her hands curled into fists as her mind ran rampant, drunk on thoughts of the strange white cat that had been stalking her mind since their encounter.

Chat Blanc had been at it again, but this time his attacks had been startlingly violent. Every night since her experience at the restaurant, she had heard the sirens, ones that were beginning to feel almost like a lullaby to the city now, and feared the worst, but she had never even dreamed he would go _this_ far.

The night before, Chat Blanc had made his most daring attack yet: one directly on the Agreste mansion. Gabriel had been alerted by his security cameras, it there was a figure standing outside the front gate and he had watched as, before his very eyes, the figure had lifted his hand, gripped it around the metal bars, shouting something he couldn't hear or the cameras hadn't picked up clearly as he did so. There had been a sickening glow around his hand, suddenly all the bars around the house that stopped anybody from getting in were gone, turned to rust and only swayed there for a few horrifying seconds before collapsing into dust on the pavement below. The intruder hadn't moved, he only stood there for a few more terrifying seconds, before letting out another shout that this time, rang clear in his head then destroying the camera, speaking his message directly into the lense before it had been crushed.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

 _Who could that "her" be?_ Ladybug pondered frantically, as her pacing quickened and she hunched her shoulders over. _It's obvious to all that the attacker is Chat Blanc, who else had such power and such a vendetta against Gabriel Agreste? However, this attack had been very different from the rest; firstly, it'd been far more daring than anything he had tried before, as he actually let himself be caught on camera_ _ **before**_ _he destroying it and he launched his attack directly before the eyes of his target. But it's also different and somewhat strange that he referenced another person, this mysterious "her." He seemed so much angrier, almost like he's on a quest for vengeance and that really does worries me. Is he potentially in league with someone? Or does he have a heart after all? It's still strange to think that this man, whoever he is, has also saved my life._

An angry sigh escaped her lips as she came to a trudging halt, her arms crossed as she stared out into the darkening sky. She almost instantly regretted it, as the blackness that was rapidly approaching the city made her think of Chat Noir, and that was the last thing she wanted to dwell on. She looked around her, her cheeks red with guilt like her thoughts were being broadcast, but there was still no sign of him. _Maybe he won't show up_ , she thought and she felt ashamed at how hopeful that thought was. _Maybe he will get caught up in something and I won't have to ask him about it, about these Chat Blanc attacks..._

She had noticed her partner had been acting strange for a while, and that was something she had expected after that hideous day with Dark Desires, but it was only recently she had noticed they had coincided with the start of the Chat Blanc attacks. The other weird thing was that Chat Blanc always seemed to attack places when she was on the other side of the city-almost like he knew her patrol routes and where she would be at any given time. She knew the only other person who knew that kind of information was her partner and the thought of that made her stomach twist painfully. She also couldn't forget that night on the rooftops, where she had stared into his eyes and sworn she was looking at her partner's twin. Something like that couldn't be just coincidence. She didn't want to believe that Chat Noir could _ever_ do something like this or even assist in something like it, but the evidence before her eyes just wouldn't leave her alone.

 _I have_ _to ask him… or is confront the better word?_ She sighed again but this time with desperation. _If I tell him of my suspicions, will he ever be able to look at me the same way? I know what we mean to each other and especially what I mean to him. I don't want to push him away like that._

Her thoughts were suddenly brought to a stop, when she heard the sound of something dropping behind her, before leisurely footsteps began to make their way over.

"Good evening, my Lady," That familiar voice washed over her, making her feel strangely relaxed and then tense all at once. "I hope you haven't been waiting long."

"Not at all Chat." She turned and smiled at him, the sinking feeling in her gut only getting worse when she was confronted with his smiling face. "I only arrived a few minutes ago." The lie fell all too easily from her tongue and she almost winced at it.

"That's good." He replied happily. "I'd hate to think of you out in the cold like this. Bugs don't do too well in the cold, do they?" He frowned like he was trying to remember a long ago science lesson before he shrugged and leapt onto the nearest stone wall of the mighty cathedral like an eager kitten. "Shall we get going? I don't want to be out too long on a night like this…"

"Wait a minute kitty," She said and he froze in place at her new tone. He looked back at her confused and saw her arm had reached out, ready to put him back. "There's something I need to talk to you about first but… I'm not sure if this is the right time or place…"

"Why? Are you scared the hunchback might interrupt us?" He grinned at the joke he had just come up with. It was one of his better ones but Ladybug didn't even crack a smile. He crawled down from the wall and stood in front of her, conscious of how she wasn't looking him in the eyes as he put his hands on her shoulders. "Ladybug? What is it? Is there something wrong?"

"No… I don't think so. I hope not…" Her vague answer stirred a sense of panic in him and he stood there stiffly, waiting for her response. "I just need to know… when Chat Blanc attacked the Agreste mansion last night, where were you?"

He blinked at the question, surprised at the bluntness she presented it with, before he went to think of his answer. "Erm… I'm not sure," He said slowly. "I think I must have been somewhere around there but I didn't hear any disturbance until the sirens… By the time I got to the scene, the police were there and he was long gone."

"Did you see him at all?" She pressed him, her eyes firm and unyielding. "Did you see any trace of him, any at all?"

"No." He answered. "I didn't see anyone."

"What about two nights ago? What were you doing?"

"Well, I wasn't on patrol, that was your night." He said, thinking of what had happened and almost winced. "I was just in bed like a normal person." He eyed her warily and she could see him cock his head slightly in suspicion. "Where's all this coming from?"

"I'm concerned, Chat," She told him, her voice brutally honest. "This Chat Blanc is making a mockery of both of us, he's been freely attacking our city almost every night for the past month, and yet _neither_ of us have ever caught a glimpse of him. It's like he knows where we patrol and plans his attacks accordingly, there's no chance this is all random. And… I saw him Chat." She watched his face and saw the surprise that flickered across it, coming a little too late to be genuine. "I saw him and he looks _exactly_ like you. It was scary, for a moment I almost thought he was you and then-"

"Wait, wait," He stopped her suddenly, holding up one gloved hand to still her words. "Are you saying, you think _I_ had something to do with all this?"

"I'm not saying anything," She replied, her eyes now fixed on his as her words were slow and determined. "It might have been an accident, it might be some kind of weird magic or an akuma, but I suspect he could be another miraculous holder. I just wanted to make sure…"

"Of what? That _I_ wasn't secretly a villain?" His voice was now as cold as the air billowing around the pair of them and his glare was just as stony as the walls of the old building they were surrounded by. "Do you really think me capable of that?"

"Chat, please…"

"What, do you think I could do _that_?" His words were stinging as he flung his arms away from her like he was disgusted to be even touching her. "Do you really think that _little_ of me? We are both cats I know… do you just think we're _all_ evil now?"

"Chat, stop it! I don't think that of you, how could I?" He made to walk away and she stubbornly ran after him, grabbing his arm as she tried to make him stay. "I needed to ask you, you would do the same of me…"

"No. I _wouldn't_." In one motion, he shrugged her arm away and turned to face her, staring down at her with his eyes flickering in anger. He had always been taller than her, it had never bothered her before, but now she felt a stab of fear as he loomed over her threateningly, her hand hovered over her belt as she stared back. "I wouldn't question you because you are my _partner_ and I trust you. I know you wouldn't help a criminal in any way and I thought the same was true of you. I would have trusted you with my life… but I guess you wouldn't do the same." Ladybug felt like she had been slapped as she stared at him, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she was rendered speechless. "You can patrol on your own tonight."

"Chat, wait…"

She tried to reach out for him again but he was already gone, lost among the sprawling mass of the city as he scaled down the cathedral away from her. Like one of the statues around her, she stayed in place for what felt like forever, until she finally lowered her arm. She brought them to her mouth, forcing her lips closed as her tears poured over her clamped fingers. She refused to let her cries echo over Paris, refused to show any more weakness than she already had. _I'm such an idiot,_ was the only thought that ran though her head, each time feeling like a beating _. I'm such an idiot._


	11. Chapter 11

_Hehehe, so it's been a while..._

 _Ok so I know it's been a while (over 8 months now I think about it... geez) and I'm very sorry for the long hiatus but both myself and the wonderful Yamina20 have been going through some very busy times and this story had to be put on the back burner. Things were getting very stressful and I also kinda needed a break from Miraculous- I'd written so much of it last summer that I was getting a little bored of it._

 _However, it's summer again and we're back in business and, like I said before, I'm determined this will get completed, even if it takes some time... and thus this is why we have a chapter of over 11000 words. There is also smut in this so if you don't like that stuff just don't read it. Please enjoy!_

Marinette had never been more glad to have a week free from akumas in her whole life. After the incident with Chat Noir at Notre Dame she had watched the local news with dread, expecting any moment to hear screaming and see some new fantastical being on the screen screaming for her miraculous, but so far it hadn't happened. She allowed herself a little relief every evening when the day went by uneventfully but that didn't mean she didn't feel guilty. Chat Noir was her partner and she knew that leaving this new wound to fester could only be bad for the both of them but she still shrank from contacting him, fearing that her tentative olive branch would only go ignored or, even worse, be faced with a sharp rebuttal that would shatter any hope of them ever speaking to each other again.

The last thing they needed was another incident, she would think every time she stared at the screen of her laptop, the cursor paused over the login page to her secret email only Chat knew. Incident was piling on incident… first Dark Desires, then this… what more could possibly happen? Marinette didn't want to find out and so she closed down the screen, rubbing at her temples and praying this would all go away once they finally captured Chat Blanc.

At night, even if it wasn't her turn to patrol, she still went out as Ladybug as she combed the rooftops of Paris trying to catch another glimpse of Chat Blanc. Deliberately avoiding running into Chat Noir as she didn't need him to get the wrong idea and think she didn't trust him, she travelled the city via yoyo, constantly on the lookout for another tell-tale flash of ghostly white but just as before the attacks continued and there was no sign of him. She could tell he had reeled himself back though; there were no more attacks directly on the mansion and quite oddly, he seemed to be attacking as far away from it as possible, travelling halfway across the city sometimes to destroy a store that still dared to stock Agreste clothing. This just made her more suspicious of him. Was he trying to avoid her now? She had no clue and unless she found and questioned him, she knew she wasn't going to get even a hint of an answer.

The week after the argument had been remarkably stale for her. After what seemed like years of torment under both Gabriel Agreste and Chat Blanc, everything now was surprisingly quiet and still, like she had reached some strange calm in the eye of the storm. She embraced it willingly, glad to have the peace to try and stitch her life back together. She spent her days again pottering around the bakery, looking forward to Shadow's still frequent but now shorter visits (he had told her he was having family troubles, that meant he couldn't sneak out for as long as he would have liked and she understood), calling her friends who were now fully back in the swing of things in their home city and working further on her designs. Despite everything Gabriel had done, he still hadn't managed to curb her passion and in this seemingly quiet spell, she had plucked up the courage to send some of her designs to other companies and applied for internships. She didn't want to work for a company forever but she also knew she needed experience to properly break into the fashion world, this was the way to do it.

By the time a full seven days had passed, she was almost feeling her old self again. Things were looking on the up; she had landed herself an interview at a very high-end fashion house, her parents were going to come home in a few days and, best of all, there had been no word from Gabriel Agreste since that night at the restaurant. That really gave her a feeling of freedom. Seeing her inbox free from his spam and having the phone stay silent took a weight from her that she didn't even realise had gotten so heavy and that evening, she felt light as a cloud as she went about her activities. She made her dinner, eating it in front of the TV as she enjoyed a movie before she called Alya and chatted to her for a few hours. She didn't even realise it was dark until she got off the phone and she squeaked when she saw how only a sliver of sun was peeping at her from over the trees in the park. _Shadow will be here any moment!_ She thought, nearly in a panic as she dashed into the kitchen to see if she had enough pastries. _I don't know how he gets through so many… he'll be eating me out of this bakery any day now._ She smiled as she counted the neat lines of pastries she had already set out on their regular platter. She had tried her hand at some new flavours recently- one cream bun had been flavoured with coffee and the other was swirled with raspberry and mint. _I hope he likes them_ , she thought as she adjusted the decorative mint leaves on a few of the tempting choux buns. _Maybe I could persuade Mama and Papa to let me have a range here…_

She was abruptly shaken from her thoughts by the sound of a loud knock on the door. Grinning, she ran from the kitchen, expecting to see a pair of green eyes smirking at her from the other side but instead, there stood the short figure of a man in a pale blue delivery uniform. He was holding a large square parcel in his hands and as she hurried to open the door, his eyes squinted through his thick glasses down at the white label then back to her.

"Are you Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" He asked her, his voice rough and gravelly from an obvious lack of sleep.

"Yes," Marinette answered slowly, her eyes darting down to look at the parcel. "But I wasn't expecting any deliveries…"

"That's _your_ name, isn't it?" The man jabbed at the top of the parcel, almost shoving it under her nose as he did so, and she couldn't deny that it was her name that was printed there. "That means it's yours. Could you sign here, please?"

Marinette didn't have time to answer before a clipboard was pushed at her with such force it nearly made her drop the parcel he had unceremoniously shoved into her arms. She quickly signed it, her occupied hands making a scribble that barely resembled her name, but the tired delivery man didn't seem to care as he gave it one quick dismissive look before fully dropping the parcel into her arms and striding back to his van.

"Wait!" She called after him, struggling with the cumbersome box. "Do you know who sent it?" She felt confused. Her parents had told her not to expect any deliveries of anything and she certainly hadn't ordered something.

The man just shrugged, his drooping eyes staring back at her looking dangerously close to closing. "No idea," he said as he climbed into the front seat and buckled himself in. "We weren't given a return address or anything so it's 100% yours."

She opened her mouth to speak again but before she could protest, he was already driving away. _Probably eager to get to bed_ , she thought, feeling slightly sympathetic for the guy before she stared down at the strange package. It looked pretty unassuming, just being a regular cardboard box with a label stuck to the top but she could feel prickles going up her arms as goosebumps started to rise. _I really am getting paranoid_ , she huffed inwardly as she went back into the bakery. She felt annoyed with herself for being so suspicious about everything but as she put the box down on the counter, she couldn't help feeling like she was justified in doing so. She could still remember the parcels Gabriel had previously sent her, packages of skimpy nightwear in silk and lace and, even though she had tossed them all out, the thought of them still sent a shudder up her spine.

 _Is this another one of his?_ She thought, giving the box a prod like she was expecting a wild animal to leap out and attack her. _He hasn't sent me anything for a while, I thought he was through after that night…_ Shaking her head to free herself of the memories she conjured up, she turned her back on the box and went to the kitchen to grab a pair of scissors. It took her a few minutes of noisily rifling through every drawer in the large bakery kitchen but eventually she stumbled across them. Despite the racket she made, she could still hear Tikki softly snoring upstairs and she paused at the foot of the staircase to listen with a small sigh of relief. She knew Tikki was exhausted from transforming into Ladybug every night and she wanted her to get her rest, plus she didn't want Tikki worrying over this new package. She had already worried her enough.

Moving back into the front room of the bakery, she eyed the package again with wary eyes. _This really is ridiculous_ , she told herself crossly as she approached it and started to cut through the label. _Being so jumpy isn't going to solve anything. It will probably be something totally innocent and nothing to do with…_ oh.

She froze as she stared down at the opened box, not noticing how the scissors were slowly falling from her limp grip. They slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor with a light clatter but she didn't even register the sound. The top layer of what was inside the package was consuming all her attention and as she dipped her hands in to draw out what was inside, she could feel the sick feeling that she had hoped was long gone resurging through her like a flood.

She held the nightdress up by the thin strands of pale lace that looked almost like foam, pinching it between her fingers and holding it at arm's length like it was repulsive. In any other situation, she would have marvelled at its beauty but all she felt looking at it was disgust. The thin floaty garment had three thin straps on each shoulder, straps that looked eerily similar to the dress she had worn on that night at the restaurant, and the lace continued to pour down over a layer of peach silk that in the light looked strikingly like nude flesh. It ended at an all too indecent level and she knew from a glance that if she ever were to wear the thing, it would only just cover her intimate parts. The hem was trimmed with even more frothy lace that had no silk underneath it to preserve her modesty and at that thought, she tossed it on the counter, letting the silk crumple into a pool of material. She could feel her chest heaving as she stared it down, hoping it would burst into flame, and it was a long while before she remembered that that had only been the **top** layer. Feeling even worse, she slowly turned her head to look back into the box's depths and what she saw there almost made her cry out.

The pair of silver handcuffs that sparkled back at her almost innocently, as if unaware of their purpose, forced her to clamp her hands over her mouth to stop any noise from escaping. She tore her eyes away in a panic, only to find them morbidly drawn back to examine every detail of this new sickening gift. On closer inspection, she found they weren't just regular handcuffs. The silver clasps that circled the wrists had been set with little clear gems that flashed in the light like teardrops and a silver ribbon had been threaded around the chain, almost making the instrument look girly. She could picture him making the box together, see his long fingers plying the ribbon through the tiny metal loops and her nails dug into her lips. Tears of panic were forming in the corners of her eyes, making her vision blur as she tried to calm down. _How could he think that would ever happen?_ She thought breathlessly. _How could he ever think using… those was possible?_

For a brief moment, an image appeared in her mind of her wearing the nightdress, the silk bunching at her stomach as she struggled against the tight hold of the handcuffs as they held her a prisoner on a large bed. It made her stomach lurch and she would have made a run for the kitchen if she hadn't been distracted by what the handcuffs were resting on. She inched closer and peered back into the box to see a neat stack of paper that had somehow been unruffled by the drive over in the delivery van. Frowning at the handwriting she saw there, she had a brief thought of sending the whole box up in flames but still she found herself picking up the first sheet and scanning her eyes over the curled words she saw there.

 _Dear Miss Marinette,_

 _I must confess to you how disappointed I was when you refused to take up my offer. Someone of your talent and skill is very much desirable in this business. That little show you made at the restaurant also means I now cannot set foot in what was one of my favourite establishments. That makes me rather angry. However, it is of no matter. I will persuade you._

 _What you see here are a few gifts to show you my appreciation for you. The nightdress I know will look stunning with your skin tone and those handcuffs too will look exceptionally pretty around those wrists as you beg. I can't wait to see it._

 _I've written some more on these other pages. I do hope you enjoy the picture I paint._

 _Oh, and one other thing. I see you have an interview with another company. I regret to be the one to inform you that it has been cancelled, as have any others you will receive in the future._

 _The offer from me however, is still yours_

 _Gabriel Agreste_

Marinette felt her body stiffen as her eyes travelled down to the rest of the papers. _He forced them to cancel my interview?_ She seethed with a spark of anger that made her hands shake and the paper fiercely rustle. _How dare he!_ She pushed the sheet of paper down on the countertop, gritting her teeth as she felt her anger leaving her and being replaced with fear again at another sentence in the letter. _Wait…what does he mean by 'the picture he paints?_ ' She thought as she reached for the next piece, feeling nervous as she found the top line.

 _I can already see you squirming, trying to free yourself of the handcuffs with that lace around your throat…_

Her eyes widened in horror as she read further down the page, the descriptions getting more and more dramatic and depraved. She could see his handwriting getting spikier and more fluid as she went down, like as he had gotten more excited as he had lost control of himself. She felt even sicker as she read, feeling like she was trapped inside his mind as he tortured her body in his foul dreams. _Was this how he saw me when I walked into his office?_ She thought as she threw the paper back in the box like it was contaminated. _Was he already imagining me… like that?_ The thought was too much for her to handle and she had to bolt for the kitchen sink as her stomach protested heavily at everything she had just been subjected to.

She tried to vomit quietly but the loud slapping sound of the vomit hitting the inside of the sink brought Tikki flying down the stairs in a mad rush, her voice concerned as she called to her charge.

"Marinette! Are you OK?! What happened?! Are you sick?! I kept saying if you went out you'd exhaust yourself…" She said as she fussed over the girl, rubbing her back as she spluttered and then quickly grabbing a tissue for her to wipe her mouth. "There, there. Now what was that all about?"

Marinette could only point over at the box that was still sitting on the counter and the items strewn around it. Tikki's face creased up in confusion when she saw the lacy nightdress and she hesitantly hovered over to it. She took one look inside before she let out a squeal and hurried back to Marinette, instantly protective as she floated before her face.

"He sent you _that_?!" She cried out as Marinette nodded, not looking Tikki in the face as she turned the taps on full blast to clean away the sick. "I don't believe this! I thought he had left you alone, we hadn't heard from him in ages…"

"It was only a couple of weeks Tikki." Marinette cut her short, her voice grim. "He must have been biding his time, waiting for when I thought I was free… that way the realisation is worse." She splashed some of the cold water from the taps on her face, trying to force herself to think logically without making her stomach turn again. "He's making his point. He knows I can't do anything and he's showing that through this. He knows I'm powerless."

"But this is evidence surely!" Tikki protested. "If you just take it down to the police station…"

"Do you really think it would stay there?" Marinette snapped. "He has spies everywhere Tikki, he's one of the most powerful men in Paris and if I did make a claim against him, he'll either get somebody to remove the evidence or make some of his own to paint me as an attention whore or something. Nothing I could ever say against him would stick and he knows that too well." She gave a long sigh as she wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling very cold. Once again she was in a hopeless situation and once again she didn't know how to get out of it. Behind her, Tikki stared at her back with wide eyes. She had never seen Marinette like this before and that really scared the kwami.

"Then…what should we do?" She asked, her voice sounding almost puny and she hated it. Marinette didn't even turn around to face her before she sighed again and made for the stairs.

"I don't know. I need to sleep on it. But please… please get all of that out of my sight." She waved a dismissive hand at the box and its spilled contents, not even able to look in its direction. "Put it under the counter and I'll deal with it in the morning. Please Tikki?"

She turned her soft blue eyes on her, eyes that again looked weary with the world, and Tikki knew she couldn't deny her request. "OK Marinette." She answered gently. "I'll be up in a moment."

Marinette smiled faintly before she turned away again and made her way up the stairs and out of sight. Tikki then quickly got to work, shoving the nightdress and any papers back in the box with a hiss before she manoeuvred it under the counter. Thankfully the box was light so it was easy for her to move it but even with it out of sight, she could still feel the sense of unease it had put in the pleasant room.

She was glad to fly away from it, quickly making her way up to Marinette's room to try and comfort her. She gave a sigh of her own; she had never seen Marinette look so defeated and sound so emotionless. She hadn't even stayed downstairs to wait for Shadow and she knew that when he did appear, she wouldn't answer the door. It was obvious that box had really given her a scare and now Tikki was wondering what that man's next move was going to be. She shuddered as she flew through the open trapdoor of Marinette's room. With his twisted mind, she knew it could be anything.

OOO

The torment only grew as more days passed. Every evening at almost the exact same time, the same van would pull up outside the bakery, each time with a new package that Marinette had to sign for. No matter how much she protested, the driver, always a different one each night, would just push it into her hands, not seeming to care at how distressed she was. In a way, she couldn't blame them. It did look like she was getting scared of just some regular mail but only her and Tikki knew it was anything but regular.

Tikki often begged her to just throw them away without opening them but Marinette always did anyway. She wasn't sure why; maybe it was a case of 'the better the devil you know' or maybe she wanted to punish herself for what happened with Chat. Either way, it left her with a sick feeling each night. She hadn't thrown up since the first one but she was always left physically repulsed.

In the package, the gifts were always the same. There would always be a piece of nightwear, usually lacy and always thin and revealing. Some had just been bras and thongs stitched together with a useless excuse for a lace cover and those had been the ones Marinette had barely been able to touch, brushing them aside with a shudder to reveal the next layer. That would always be some kind of sex toy which would, like the handcuffs, usually have some little personalised detail on them. That always made her feel worse, imagining him coming up with these ideas. She had been unaware of the existence of some of these things and some she hadn't even known what they were at first glance; it made her feel like her innocence had truly been taken. Some of them had made her scream; one had been a large red dildo with her initials marked on it in gold, another had been a leather woven riding crop that had a large jewel at the end. Then underneath all that would be the worst part- the pages and pages of Gabriel's handwriting as he told her exactly how he would use the toy on her. They would always be in such graphic detail, it almost felt like the letters were staining her eyes and afterwards she would take the sheets and tear them to pieces, not wanting the foul things to exist any longer.

Each one had been thrown out unceremoniously into the large bakery bin outside, the package re-taped to hide the shameful contents. The papers were nearly always torn; Marinette knew she would die of shame if anyone were to ever read them. Every box had been thrown away except the first one, the one that had started it all. It still sat unmoved under the counter at the front of the bakery, the flaps hanging just open enough to let a shadow fall over it. Marinette had found herself unable to touch it again, not wanting to relive that awful first night and so there it had stayed, being ignored like it was just another empty box littering the bakery. She knew she would have to get rid of it at some point before her parents came home but for now, she couldn't help feeling ill at the thought of touching it again. That task would have to wait.

She had tried to keep these parcels a secret from Shadow. She didn't want him to be repulsed by her and see her in the way Gabriel did and there was also a small part of her that worried that if he did see them, he would be tempted to do something stupid in her honour. That, she knew, would be close to suicide; nobody went against a juggernaut like Gabriel Agreste and came out unscathed. She couldn't have forgiven herself if he had gotten hurt and so she kept it to herself, smiling in his presence and letting it fester inside her. _Maybe I'm an idiot keeping all this to myself_ , she often thought, _but I don't know what else to do. It's my problem, not his. I won't allow him to suffer on my account._

However, things came to a head one night in a way neither of them would have expected. It had been almost ten days since that first parcel and Marinette was sitting in her kitchen, waiting for her friend to appear. Her body was rigid with tension as she peered out of the window; that night's parcel hadn't arrived yet and the feeling of hope that was springing up inside her was more than she could take. _Maybe it won't come_ , she thought, her hands gripping tightly to the edge of the counter like it was the last thing keeping her sane. Her leg was rapidly rapping against the cupboard door she was leaning against, the pain numbed from the repeated blows and she ignored the red mark that was blossoming across it. Her eyes were trained towards the door but she didn't know which would come first; a blond boy dressed in black or a stranger in a blue uniform with a clipboard and a cardboard box.

She squeezed her eyes shut. Her mouth tasted coppery from all the times she had split her lip with her teeth. Her fingers were now shaking and she felt barely able to stand. Was this what true despair felt like? Her lungs felt encased in iron as she tried to choke back a sob. If Gabriel's aim was to try and break her, he was doing a stellar job of it. She felt like a china doll that had been chucked down a flight of stairs, cracked all over but somehow still clinging together. She gave a shaky sigh. Yes, she was still clinging on but she didn't know how much longer she could last.

"Marinette? Are you OK?"

She started as a familiar warm voice called her and she opened her eyes to see Shadow was standing in the doorway, his hand holding the door open as he stared at her worried. His green eyes on her almost felt like a shameful burn and she quickly plastered a smile on her face. It was only then when she realised she had been crying; the tears had dried on her face, making her cheeks feel stiff. She wiped them away nonchalantly as he got closer, his voice sounding sterner as he asked her again.

"Mari? What's up, is everything alright?"

"Yes of course." She told him, her voice sounding too sunny, too bright for the situation. "Everything's fine Shadow, you don't need to worry."

"I do worry though." He said, chuckling a little as he brought his hand up to her face. Her pigtails had been tied in rather sloppily that morning so strands of black hair were spilling across her face. He drew them back and tucked them behind her ears. "Especially when your hair looks like this. Did a hurricane pass through recently that I didn't hear about?"

"Shut up, I was in a hurry this morning!" She slapped his hand away, her cheeks going pink at the friendly teasing. "I'll go redo my hair, don't break anything whilst I'm gone, OK?"

"Me? Break anything? You wound me." She laughed at him as she headed for the stairs and he felt his heart lighten at the sound. Whatever she told him, he had been worrying about her over the last few days. Thanks to his father, his visits were now becoming erratic and it pained him that he couldn't see her every night. He could also tell something was very wrong with her: whenever he did visit her behaviour seemed strained and there had been one night when he had showed up and she hadn't responded, even though he had stood outside knocking for a good ten minutes. His smile disappeared when she went out of view and he sighed when he looked back at where she had been standing. He had seen from the doorway that she had been crying and from the way her body had been swaying, he had worried she would collapse. There was clearly something eating away at his sweet Princess and he was going to find out.

He made a lap of the bakery, looking closely around the kitchen but he couldn't find anything that seemed out of place. The room was neat and clean; exactly what you would expect from an establishment of that standard. He was making his way through to the front of the bakery, when he spotted a box under the counter. His eyes narrowed. He couldn't recall seeing that before. He approached it warily, not even sure why but something was telling him this was bad. He wondered if it was his cat senses; they had been heighting recently with every time he became Chat Blanc. They had even started to affect him out of transformations and he sniffed the air as he inched closer to the box. He could see the top had been opened already, the cardboard slots pointed upwards slightly like they were inviting him to look inside.

Moving slowly and carefully so that he didn't make a sound, he pulled it from its place under the counter and rested it on top. He could now clearly smell the air around it and it almost smelt like despair. It made his noise scrunch up and he shook his head to get the stench out of his nostrils. He still had no clue what was inside this thing but he was certain that it wasn't going to be good.

He tentatively opened the box up and was confused at what he saw. The last thing he had been expecting was a sea of frothy lace and something sparkly resting underneath it, just visible through the sheer material. _Is this some gift for her parents she's hiding?_ He thought as he drew the soft fabric aside. He almost choked when the little sparking gems were exposed and he saw what they were set into. The handcuffs had been coiled up like a snake waiting to pounce and he picked them up between two of his fingers, repulsion hitting him in a wave as the gems glittered before his eyes. _Why the heck does Marinette_ _ **have**_ _these?_ He thought, before he suddenly remembered something she had once told him that made him shudder. She had mentioned once about parcels coming, being sent to her by Gabriel always filled with lingerie…

He dropped the handcuffs and scrambled for the lace, hoisting it upwards so it fluttered down into its shape and he gave a low growl when he saw it was a barely-decent nightie. If he had had claws at that moments, the silk would have been shredded to pieces as his fingers gripped the slippery material tightly in anger. _It's disgusting_ , he thought, _how could my father send this to someone and expect them to be pleased?_ It was sickening over anything else and it made him want to wrap Marinette up in his arms and never let her go.

He forced himself to put the lace down, draping it over the sides of the box, and that was when he noticed the sheets of paper. He frowned down at the messy stack of lined paper with clear scribbles all over the surface; Marinette hadn't mentioned something like this before. He could recognise his father's handwriting and he went to pick up the first sheet. He would have noticed the ridges in the paper caused by somebody gripping it too hard and the definite finger marks but he was too curious about the content to realise this. He started to read, his eyes growing wider as they skimmed over each line and he felt his toes curl. Was he really reading this? Adrien could feel his anger boiling in the pit of his stomach as he went on, the insight into his father's sexual fantasies with the woman he loved making him see red as the paper shook in his hands. He had known his father was obsessed but he never thought he would sink this low. He had a sudden image of Marinette in the positions Gabriel had imagined, tied up, exposed and unable to defend herself and he had never wanted to tear the man apart more. He was just thinking of the many ways he could use his claws to rip him into ribbons when the sound of hurried footsteps running down the stairs alerted him to Marinette's return and he whipped around just in time to see her appear before him, a wide smile on her flushed face.

"Sorry I took so long, my hair was just not co-operating with me…" She laughed, flicking at one of her perfectly-tied pigtails before she looked over and saw Shadow's face was cast in anger. "Hey Shadow, are you OK? What's wro-"

Her eyes fell on the open box with the lace spilling down its side like intestines and she gave a strangled gasp, planting her hands over her mouth like she was trying to suppress herself from screaming. Her frightened eyes looked over at him, her fear almost paralysing the rest of her body and she gave a whimper when she saw the piece of paper in his hands. Silence filled the room at a deafening level as they just stared at each other for a long moment, Marinette looking close to tears and Shadow curling his fingers around the paper until it shook with his rage. It took him a while to be able to speak, not wanting his voice to come out to angry and scare his love. She wasn't the one he was angry at after all.

"How long?"

"T-ten days." Marinette finally answered him, her hands lowering slowly from her face like she was losing the energy to keep them there. "That was the first one."

"That was only the first?!" Shadow's sudden angry shout made her loudly wince and, before she knew it, he had strode across the room and taken her in his arms, rocking her gently as she curled her fingers into his hoodie.

"Sorry, sorry, I shouldn't have yelled like that," he apologised softly, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head that she barely registered. "I just can't believe he's doing this, it's truly disgusting. Were all the other parcels like that?"

Marinette nodded. "He's sent them every night, always with the last deliveries of the day and they all have the same thing in them. I threw the rest of them away, I couldn't bear to have them here but that one made me sick whenever I thought about touching it… I wanted to get rid of it but I couldn't. I'm sorry, I'm so useless…"

"You're not useless," Shadow cooed softly as he ran his hands up and down her arms and back to soothe her. "You're the furthest thing from it. It's understandable you wouldn't want to touch it after reading that, it's just sick. You should have told me, I would have removed it…"

"I'm not being a burden to you." Marinette mumbled, clinging to him even tighter so her whole face was buried in his chest. "You've already done so much, too much in fact… I just don't know how much longer I can do this and I don't want to force you to pick up the pieces if I finally break. You didn't ask for this yet, I dragged you in anyway and I'm sorry…"

"Mari, you didn't drag me into anything," He said, making her tilt her head up a little so her blue eyes were peeping up at him. "If anything, I kind of came barging into this and I don't regret it, not a moment of it. I'm not going to leave you now, not when he's still out there. I'll protect you, I'm not letting him lay a finger on you."

"Really?" Her voice was only just above a whisper but he heard it loud and clear in the still air of the bakery. He was holding her close, closer than he could remember holding her before and her scent of warmth and safety was all around him. The air around him felt frozen, almost as if it was anticipating his next move, whilst she felt warm. He wasn't sure what possessed him to do it but his head suddenly reached up and found their way under her chin, drawing her upwards so she had to stand on her tiptoes and her face was all he could see.

"Of course," He answered. "You're my princess, aren't you?"

Neither of them were sure who made the first move. One moment they were just staring into each other's eyes, his words and the love behind them fully sinking in. Then the next, their lips were touching, not in the gentle caressing way the two of them had always imagined it to go but in a harsh longing way as they gripped each other, wanting, needing to get ever closer. Her arms went around his neck, dipping him towards her as her fingers locked in his hair, pulling his hood down with such speed he was surprised she hadn't ripped it. One of Adrien's hands went to the small of her back, digging into her skin so he could press her closer whilst his other hand ran through her hair, destroying the pigtails she had just finished in favour of feeling her hair slip through his fingers. She was intoxicating, her movements against his body caused him to groan into her mouth. This was more than he had ever hoped to happen and he felt his hands fist her hair and clothing almost like he was checking to see if she was actually real.

They pulled apart after what seemed like hours, lips wet and swollen and their chests moving in sync. Marinette's pupils were so blown that the blue was now only a faint ring around the black void of her inner eyes and Adrien almost gulped at the sight. Her taste was still in his mouth and he wanted more, so much more but he stopped her when she leaned in for another kiss.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked her, his voice sounding breathless like he had already run a marathon.

Marinette kept looking up at him but then she did something he would have never even dreamed she would do; her hand unhooked itself from his neck and started trailing downwards, forging a hot path over his torso before she reached the hem of his hoodie, the black item that had been his cover for so long. She then yanked up it, manoeuvring his limp arms until the whole garment had been stripped from his body before she threw it over her shoulder. Adrien was wearing a grey t-shirt underneath but he still felt naked without the hoodie to conceal him. He stepped back so his face was still shielded by shadows but she followed him, her body now even closer so he could feel her warmth on his skin.

"Yes." She breathed out, cupped his face before going in for another long kiss, abusing his mouth as she pressed her own lips against his hard enough to bruise. That was when something inside of Adrien snapped. Shoving the box to the floor and letting its contents fly away, he picked Marinette up and close to slammed her on the top of the counter, quickly following to settle between her legs before he brought their lips back together, feeling her moans and clutching at him go straight to his crotch. He knew this wasn't the smart thing, the sensible thing, that they were both slowly losing control but he didn't care. This was what they both wanted, only a strong man could have walked away in that moment and Adrien was far from being a strong man at that second.

The pair moaned as they kissed with an ever-growing intensity, the slow burning that had been present since day one now engulfing them in a raging flame. Marinette broke the kiss just long enough to throw her head back and Adrien launched an attack on her throat, nipping at the smooth skin there hard enough to leave glowing red marks. He licked them afterwards, enjoying the feeling of her shuddering beneath him at every swipe of his tongue. Her hands were now back in his hair, directing him as she tugged at the gold strands and the pain coupled in with the heady pleasure only intensified his arousal. He could feel himself growing harder, his jeans feeling tight and Marinette was clearly a victim of the same powerful heat as she was rubbing herself against him. One roll of her hips hit his groin dead on and he moaned embarrassingly loudly, causing her to stop and go completely red.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise I was doing that…" She sounded mortified, her hands going from his hair to her face as she covered herself and quickly mumbled. "I haven't done this before…"

"Hey Mari, look at me," Adrien gently cajoled her hands away and gave her a smile. "That's OK, I haven't done this before either. And honestly, I'm not complaining." He gave her a wink that she only just saw in the darkness of the bakery and she gave a giggle. "Do you maybe want to keep going somewhere more comfortable and maybe a bit less in view?"

"Oh god!" Marinette went red again when she remembered where they were; lying on the top of the bakery counter with very large windows all around them. True, it was dark and the street outside was empty but that didn't mean nobody would walk past. She gave a little squeak and Adrien chuckled; every sound she made was adorable to his ears and he couldn't help loving it. "We can go up to my bedroom… if you want. I have the necessary stuff up there too…" She sounded so embarrassed and Adrien wanted to chuckle again. Where was the girl who had ripped his hoodie off him with such abandon?

"Lead the way princess." He told her as he climbed off the counter and helped her hop down, letting her take his hand and lead him shyly upstairs. It was a little cumbersome getting up the trapdoor but they finally made it up into the bedroom. Adrien felt relieved to see this room was just as dark as downstairs; he knew Marinette had seen most of his face already but he was still scared that if she stared at it for long enough, she would eventually realise who he was and he was nowhere near ready for that. Until he was, darkness would be his safety net.

Marinette let go of his hand briefly to dive into the bathroom and she emerged, still red-faced, with a condom. "Alya insisted on getting me a packet when we first had sex ed," She explained when she saw him raise an eyebrow. "This is the first time I've opened them."

"Alya sounds like a very responsible friend." That was the only answer Adrien could come up with and Marinette nodded. The air was now a little awkward, the passion long dissipated, and both of them could feel growing nerves at the enormity of what they were going to do. It wasn't until Adrien went and sat on the end of Marinette's bed and gently patted the space next to him did Marinette join him, feeling her legs shake slightly as she did so. Adrien had softened since their making-out session on the counter (she didn't know how she was ever going to be able to look at it again now) but there was still an obvious bulge there and she now felt embarrassed to look at it. _How the heck do you proceed with something like this?_ She thought, already panicking a little until she felt Adrien's hand gently rest on top of hers.

"We don't have to do it if you don't want to," He said, squeezing her hand to give some reassurance. "We'll only go as far as you're comfortable with, OK?"

"OK." Marinette nodded again, taking a deep breath and finally giving him a smile. "OK."

She softly repeated the word before she slowly leaned forwards and brushed her lips against his once more, this time treading softly and carefully as he started to respond. This was the kiss they had imagined for their first time and Marinette could already feel herself getting swept away again as Adrien shuffled closer and put his arms around her, making her feel safe and comforted.

Tentatively, they allowed their hands to travel, stoking the previous flames as they trailed through hair and over sides and arms. Adrien let a hand wander to her thigh, resting it there for a moment just to make sure she was comfortable before he let himself move closer, gently positioning her leg so she was almost sitting in his lap. Her fingers had tensed at that action, gripping at him like they were her only anchor to reality but she soon relaxed again, letting him take the lead as their kissed got increasingly messier and the air around them felt like fire.

They fell back on the bed when sitting up felt like too much of a task, their legs tangling as Adrien pushed himself upwards, once again straddling Marinette and letting his hands roam free under the delicate fabric of her t-shirt. She encouraged him to take it further, breaking their kiss in a moment of confidence to pull at the hem and lift it away, chucking the t-shirt to the other side of the room. Her embarrassment returned when she moved her head back to look up at him and she couldn't meet his eyes, feeling nervous now that she was almost stripped bare in front of him. She felt him move backwards and there was a second where she wondered if he had been repulsed by her but then she looked up and saw he was struggling with his own t-shirt, revealing a toned torso of rope-like muscles that were wound tight under his skin. Almost instinctively, she reached up to run her hands over them and he made a purring noise as he lowered himself back into their previous position, their warm skin making contact and sending shivers through her body.

"You're so beautiful." Adrien muttered, sounding awed as he kissed her again, lips moving reverently against hers before he trailed down her jaw, leaving soft kisses on all his previous marks and making her heave a contented sigh. "So beautiful."

He kissed her more as she leaned up to unhook her bra, discarding it by the side of the bed as he ran his thumbs over her nipples. At first, his touch was gentle but when he pressed down a little firmer, she gasped and bit her lip in pleasure, keening her back for more of his touch. The sight only turned Adrien on more and his jeans were getting more and more uncomfortable with every second that passed. Marinette's body was so responsive as he spoiled it with touches and kisses and he found it so erotic, it almost hurt.

It didn't take them long to want more, breaking their embrace for a moment so they could rid themselves of their trousers. Marinette's pyjama pants came off all too easily but Adrien found his jeans more difficult, his fingers fumbling with the button in his haste to get them off and feel some relief. He heard Marinette giggle at his struggle before a pair of hands brushed his away and undid the stubborn button in one go.

"Let me." Marinette smiled up at him as she pulled down the zipper and shrugged his hips from the restricting fabric. She then leant back on the bed, her smile taking on a wickedly playful air as she looked up at him and he nearly fell over trying to kick himself out of his jeans. _God, she really is going to be the death of me_ , he thought with a shudder as he lowered himself back down onto her and passionately kissed her lips.

The heat that had taken over them downstairs on the counter once again resurged as Marinette wrapped her bare legs around his hips, begging for friction as they kissed and sloppily ground together. The only things separating them were her knickers and his boxers and both of them were beginning to get wet as their desperation for each other grew. It built until it was all too much and Adrien had to force himself back a little. His head was reeling like he was having his first high and the feeling of Marinette's surprisingly strong legs around him was only making it stronger. With a noise akin to a growl, he pulled away his boxers, letting his arousal spring free before he kicked them away. Now he was naked and panting slightly as more heat coursed through him, his dick curving into his hip and leaking. Marinette caught sight of it and her cheeks went red as she was once again suddenly aware of her embarrassment. She looked away, feeling too nervous to stare and she went to cover her eyes but Adrien then cupped the side of her face in his hand and drew it back so she was looking up into his green eyes that were a dark jade colour.

"Do you want to stop?" He asked her, his voice laced with concern and she felt a warmth spread through her chest that had nothing to do with how aroused she was. He was being so caring and gentle, willing to stop even through his own arousal, which looked close to painful and her eyes were almost brimming with tears as she looked up at him and nodded.

"I want to." She said, her voice quiet but still clear. "Please, I want you to."

That was all the confirmation Adrien needed and he purred again as he gently kissed her lips, nearly nuzzling into her warmth and making her giggle again. As they kissed, his hands trailed back down her body and, moving slowly so she wasn't startled, he pulled her knickers down her thighs, letting the pads of his fingers drag on her skin. A moan rumbled in his throat when she lifted her legs up to help him and soon, both of them were lying there naked, still wound in a tight embrace.

"Mari, can I…" Adrien's voice was slightly lower than normal as he delicately placed one hand on the top of Marinette's legs, his fingertips on the join between her leg and her hip which gently sloped down towards her entrance. He knew if he moved his hand, he would be touching the black wiry hairs and probing at the lips of her vagina and the thought was making his dick ache even more. He knew both of them wanted this, Marinette had made her feelings clear, but he still wanted her approval once more before he went over the edge. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her; he would have hurt himself before he let that happen.

Marinette nodded again and he shifted his hand, running them lightly over the folds of her entrance and hearing her breath hitch. The sound was delicious to his ears and he pressed a little more firmly to hear more, nearly groaning himself when she let out a tiny moan. He could already feel how wet she was and it was all too easy for him to slip two fingers inside.

The wet warmth was almost too much for him and he wondered how he didn't cum right there and then when she gave a louder moan and clenched around his fingers. He leaned up to kiss her again, distracting her long enough so he could work on stretching her. He added a third finger and she keened against him, pressing her whole body along his before she looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Please…" She whispered, her voice wavering with the last traces of her embarrassment as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Adrien just dumbly nodded; he didn't trust himself enough to speak at that point and he quickly leant back to try and find the condom Marinette had abandoned somewhere on the bed. Quickly locating it, he ripped the package open with his teeth and spat it out before carefully rolling it over his dick and moving so the tip was just hovering at her vagina. From this position, he was holding himself over her, his hands on either side of her head as she looked up at him. For one moment, their eyes met, both searching the others face for any trace of doubt in what they were about to do. When they found none, they locked onto each other in a silent confirmation. Neither of them had realised how much they had been waiting for this but now it was finally happening, it felt like they couldn't have lasted a second longer.

Adrien was slow as he pushed himself into Marinette, watching her face intently for any signs of discomfort as his breaths came out in long gasps. The warmth of her was beckoning him in closer and closer and he was having to holding himself back from slamming himself in fully, his fingers wrinkling the bedsheets as he deeply moaned. Marinette was squirming underneath him, unused to the feeling and groaning with every movement. At first, she had tensed up, scared of the strange new sensation but when she relaxed, it started to feel pleasurable and her hips began moving of their own accord, rolling slightly against Adrien's and making him growl.

"Marinette…" He moaned out her name when he was fully buried in her, their legs and arms so intertwined, he could feel both their pulses running through them. He could feel his legs trembling as he forced himself not to move, waiting until Marinette nodded up at him before he began shallowly thrusting into her. His movements were slow and steady, almost matching the pace of their shared breathing. Marinette could feel her legs shaking both with the pleasure and with the anticipation of what was to come and her arms wound even tighter around his shoulders as she buried her head in the side of his neck. She could feel the rumbling of Shadow's body as he fought to control his movements and she smiled into his neck, dropping kisses onto the heated skin. She had heard so many horror stories about how some girls had awful first times and there had been a part of her that had almost dreaded her own. However, with Shadow she had never felt more comforted and adored and she leant back against her pillows so she could bring his face back up to hers and kiss him again. The kiss quickly turned hard and hungry as she rolled her hips to meet his and even though they were off-rhythm, Adrien still groaned.

"Mari…" He whispered her name like a prayer as his movements grew faster and deeper, pumping his hips so the bed underneath them creaked. He continued to moan her name as Marinette threw her head back, pressing it against the pillows again as he rose up to meet her lips. Their kiss was almost savage, a mess of clicking teeth and hot air as they panted against each other, too worked up in their pleasure to care about their abused lips. Adrien was now thrusting as hard and fast as he could, drinking in the low groans and breathless gasps that were tumbling from Marinette's dark pink lips. He could feel himself getting closer and closer to his climax but he almost never wanted to get there. He wanted to stay like this with her, keep them connected like this, so this moment would never end and he could spend the rest of eternity whispering into her lips that he loved her.

However, on one particularly hard thrust, Marinette gave a soft cry, throwing her head back again and exposing all the marks he had painted on her neck like a Jackson Pollack. He could feel her clench around his cock and the overwhelming sensation was too much. He came with a grunt and spilled into the condom, the rush of warmth making both of them jolt a little. They stayed like that for a moment, waiting until their breathing went back to normal before Adrien pulled out. He got up and quickly peeled the sticky condom off, leaving to quickly tie it and put it in her bathroom bin before returning back to the bed and lying down next to Marinette. She hadn't moved, her body flushed and pink and her chest rising and falling heavily. Her blue eyes met his for a minute and he could feel his cheeks blushing as she softly smiled. The air was a little awkward but that was OK. He was content knowing that they would have plenty of time to explore each other, plenty of time to get comfortable enough in each other's presence so they wouldn't feel like this afterwards. His fingers reached out to brush her cheek and she leaned into his touch, sighing contently as his thumb stroked the swell of her lips. They stayed like that for a moment until Marinette sat up to reach for her underwear. She pulled on fresh knickers and her pyjama top as Adrien put his boxers back on, trying to ignore the damp patch at the front. He pushed all his clothes into a pile at the end of the bed but didn't make a move to put them back on; they both knew he wasn't leaving that night.

Wordlessly, they both got under the sheets, Adrien lying there for a moment as Marinette went to close the trapdoor they had forgotten earlier. The bed dipped as she climbed in and he could feel her tense up, her embarrassment back almost in full force as she perched at the edge with her back to him, close to falling off. He could make out the scrunched line of her shoulders as she huddled there uncertain and he felt his heart constrict at the sight. She wasn't beginning to regret what they had done, was she?

"Mari?" He called out to her and he watched as she almost jumped out of the bed. There was a pause as she froze there, clinging to the duvet like it was a life raft, before she rolled over, her eyes wide in the darkness as she faced him. Keeping his eyes on her to gauge her reaction, he lifted up the duvet a little and patted the space next to him.

"Do you want to… erm…" He stammered a little, suddenly embarrassed himself. What the heck was he meant to end that sentence with? Everything he could think of sounded too twee after what they had just done and what if she thought he was being ridiculous… His train of thought suddenly stopped as the bed creaked again and his side was suddenly warm as Marinette wriggled against him. She looked up almost nervously, her head hovering an inch over his shoulder and he gave her a reassuring smile as he reached a hand up to run his fingers through her hair and guide her the last little bit of distance. Tendrils of her hair were tickling at his collarbone and he continued to stroke them, letting them fall in crazy patterns on his skin. He could feel every bit of her that was touching him on his suddenly hypersensitive body, from the gentle pressure of her head on his shoulder to the softness of her top against his bare skin. He felt like grinning like an idiot; he could very easily get used to this.

"You OK?" He asked softly like his voice would shatter the moment if he was too loud and she gave a little nod in response.

"This is nice." He heard her mumble as she curled into him more, acting almost cat-like as she stretched her arm over his torso and left it lying there. Her eyelids were fluttering contently shut and Adrien could feel a yawn building in his own chest. He looked down at Marinette as she pulled his warm body closer and, for a moment, he forgot that he probably should be getting back to the mansion and that both his father and Plagg would be fuming in the morning. He let himself relax as he tightened his own grip on his love, closing his eyes and letting the sweet smell of Marinette's bedsheets soothe him.

"Goodnight Princess. Sweet dreams."

OOO

When Marinette woke up the next morning, she half-expected Shadow to be gone. She wouldn't have blamed him; he had told her enough about his home life for her to understand it wasn't exactly rosy and she knew he could get in serious trouble if he wasn't found in his own bed in the morning. It was a fact so cemented in her head that she had come to associate him with the night and had never pictured him in daylight, almost like she was scared he would evaporate if she did so. That was why it was a pleasant surprise to her when she woke up to find strong arms were still holding her in their grip and she was still using his bare shoulder as her pillow. She gave a groggy sigh as she lifted her head, her eyes blinking in the silvery sunlight as she surveyed the room. It was still full of shadows thanks to the pulled curtains and only thin slivers of light had made it in, illuminating little patches of the room like spotlights. One of those spotlights fell at the end of the bed where Marinette had discarded her pyjama bottoms and for a second she struggled to remember why she wasn't wearing them before she remembered what had happened last night and her cheeks coloured. _God, we really have done that, hadn't we…?_

She propped herself up with her elbow and Shadow's form stiffened around her, his arms tightening like they were determined not to let her go. She looked down at his sleeping face and smiled; his blond hair was all messy and there was a clear string of drool hanging from his lips but she could feel her heart skipping. It felt strange- it was the first morning in a long time where she had woken up not feeling afraid. She ran a hand through his hair, feeling giggles bubbling inside her when his eyes creased in his sleep and he made to bat her away with one hand whilst the other curled around her protectively. The sight was adorable and she nearly did let a laugh slip, her free hand just reaching her mouth in time to stop herself from waking him. Shadow was many things but she had never thought of him as adorable before.

She could have stayed like that all day, not even caring that the day was passing her by and ignoring the fact she hadn't received a parcel the night before- everything just seemed to melt away as she stroked his hair like he was a cat purring on her lap. She was once again trying to giggle as quietly as possible when a rapping sound suddenly made her freeze. She hesitantly looked over at the trapdoor; the sound was like the scratchings of a bird on a window and it sounded like it was coming from downstairs. Slowly edging herself out from Shadow's grip, despite his sleepy protests and clinging, she got up from the bed and went to find her dressing gown, hoping the length would disguise the fact she wasn't wearing any trousers. The noise only got louder as she scrambled down the trapdoor and headed towards the bakery. She gave a groan when she saw a silhouette in the bakery door and then repeated it when she flicked her eyes at the clock on the wall. It was barely half past eight- why was somebody down here at this time? They couldn't expect them to be open now, surely? Rubbing at her eyes, she trudged to the door, already steeling herself not to snap at whoever was there as she unlocked it.

"Hello?" She said, peering at the figure standing on the step. "I'm sorry but my parents-"

"I'm perfectly aware of the whereabouts of Mr and Mrs Dupain-Cheng Miss Marinette," A cutting voice suddenly spoke over her. "I'm here on a matter that concerns you."

"Me?" Marinette asked, a familiar dread pooling in her stomach as she got a proper look at the stranger. The man was tall and skinny and dressed in a black suit that reminded her of the bodyguards who had dragged her to that awful restaurant. There were sunglasses covering his eyes, despite it being early in the morning, and in his hands, was a package that looked scarily like all the ones she had received in the past few days but was much smaller.

"Yes, you." The man said. "I've come to deliver this from my employer, Miss Marinette. I'm afraid to say he is getting rather impatient with you. His instructions are for you to wear what is in this package and to present yourself at Agreste Manor tomorrow evening. You have until then to clear up any loose ends here."

"Are you serious?" Marinette close to screamed in fury, her hands gripping the doorframe to stop herself from clawing at the man's blank face. "There's no way in hell I'm going back there! He can't make me!"

The man sighed. "Mr Agreste mentioned you might say that." He pushed his sunglasses further up his nose before he addressed her again, sounding more serious than before. "He said that if you wouldn't come willingly, I was to use his means of persuasion."

Marinette felt her legs tremble. "Persuasion?" She asked, trying to stop her voice shaking. "What did he mean by that?"

The man said nothing at first. Instead, he looked upwards towards her round window, his face still as cold and unmoving as a slab of white marble. "That boy… the one who stayed with you all night." He finally spoke, watched as the girl went white and visibly slumped. "If you don't show up tomorrow night, he is the one who will suffer your punishment." As Marinette gaped at him, he stepped forwards and dumped the parcel in her wilting arms, only pausing to give her a small smirk.

"Just something to think about Miss Marinette. Just something to think about."


	12. Chapter 12

_Hello again! And look, it hasn't been another eight months! This is just a quick thank you to all of you who have left reviews and favourited this story- it means a lot to both me and my lovely co-writer so thank you. You're the ones that made this story continue! Please enjoy because things are gonna get tense!_

The next morning, Adrien woke up feeling sky-high. The feeling of waking up among Marinette's sheets, surrounded by her sweet scent was bliss and he couldn't help but smile when he opened his eyes and saw the pink walls of her bedroom. It was enough to make his heart feel light as a cloud and suddenly his worries seemed all too far away, like a distant storm that he could only just hear thundering. He had been quick to get dressed, pulling on his trousers, t-shirt and hoodie with a smile as he looked down at the crumpled bed. He had touched Marinette there, he couldn't help thinking. He had touched her, kissed her, ran his hands all over her and made her feel good, cuddled her close… Just the thought of it made him smile and almost made his blood rush south again.

He forced himself to stay calm however; he had heard Marinette get up earlier and the last thing he needed was to disturb her day completely, she probably had things to do. He left breezily out of the front door, passing Marinette with a softly-spoken goodbye and a swift kiss on the cheek. If he hadn't been in such a hurry, he would have noticed the strained, longing look on her face as he left the bakery and the way her eyes followed him across the road as he walked away, her eyes drinking him in like it was the last time she would see him.

The rest of the day just served to cement the happy feelings inside him. He hadn't felt this content in so long, it was almost a foreign sensation to him- he couldn't remember the last time so many things had gone so right for him. First, he had gotten back to the manor just before the maids had come in to once again search his room, slipping through the window and changing into the nightwear he had barely worn the past few nights just before they came knocking. Once again, they had swept his room for his mother's belongings but they found nothing and soon left. He had watched them with a smirk on his face; he knew they were never going to find anything because all his mother's possessions were with Marinette.

The knowledge that they were with her filled his chest with a warm glow. He enjoyed thinking about the two women he loved most in his life being connected like that and he had almost given a satisfied purr in front of the maids at the memory of Marinette wearing his mother's brooch. It felt like a small victory against his father- Marinette and his mother's memory were his and his alone and that was something Gabriel could never take away from him, no matter how hard he tried.

The next good thing to happen was his workload. His father had scheduled him the same number of photoshoots as he always did but for some reason, that day they felt a lot less strenuous than usual. There were fewer outfit changes, his poses were a lot easier on his body (he was nearly always made to feel like his body was made of wire as his limbs were twisted and formed to how the photographer wanted them) and the team around him were also seemed much kinder. The people around him had always sensed that Gabriel was too hard on his son, but as he was their employer and could end their careers in a second if he so wanted, there wasn't much they could do.

However, that day they all seemed to be stretching the limits of how they could treat him; the make-up ladies had been a lot softer as they made up his face, the main photographer had insisted on him taking two ten minute breaks in the middle of the day and another crew member had even given him a sandwich when they saw the meagre salad he had to eat. They were little things, crumbs of kindness that most people would have dismissed with a simple thanks, but to Adrien they really meant the world. _It's sad,_ he had thought a little bitterly at one point, _that being treated like a human being is enough to make me emotional. But still I can't deny that it's nice to feel that way, even if it is just for a short time._

Because of this, Adrien felt more enthusiastic about his work than he had been in years and the photographer who had directed the shoot had been almost in tears when he exclaimed proudly that this was Adrien's best work yet. It had all been so easy and so pain-free that Adrien had managed to finish quickly, meaning for the first time in years, he left work early and got to spend a little time chilling in his room with Plagg and Epidd. Even the kwamis had seemed more cheerful- Plagg had been smiling more than he had in a long while and neither him or Epidd had tried to start a fight with each other even once. That only made him more hopeful- maybe there was a way they could get out of this mess both of them were so painfully tangled in. Maybe they could both escape from under the thumb of Gabriel Agreste and make their own lives together, he thought happily as he played around with a daisy as he daydreamed. It had been tucked behind his ear during the last photoshoot and nobody had bothered to remove it as he left; now, he plucked at its petals, letting them fall onto his sheets like fallen snow as he imagined escape plans.

Gabriel's influence could only stretch so far; he may be a powerful man with many friends but he still had his limits. If he could steal Marinette away, they could go far away from him, they could go anywhere they pleased and Gabriel could do nothing to stop them. _We could go to America,_ he mused happily as he scattered the petals all over his bedsheets, watching them blend into the creamy material. _Or anywhere in Asia, I know her parents are visiting in China and she might want to go back to her roots…_ he really wouldn't mind. He wouldn't mind going anywhere as long as it was with her.

Night couldn't have come any quicker for him. He had waited at his window, watching as the sun dragged itself across the sky and grinning when it finally dropped from the horizon, out of sight altogether. He had raced to escape from his window, diving down and darting across the manor grounds like a man possessed. On the way, he had a brainwave and when he walked through the park to get to Marinette's bakery, he found himself picking at patches of wild flowers to make a bouquet. It looked a little lopsided- he hadn't accounted for stem length at all and the flowers held a garish mishmash of colours- but he was certain she would like it. He could already imagine her smile as he handed them over to her, her cheeks pink and flushed with pleasure as she put them in a vase. The scene was strangely domestic and it sent a shiver running through him. That was all he wanted, just him and her, no complications, no threats, no creepy controlling father… just them. Was that too much to hope for?

He reached the bakery barely a few minutes after nightfall. The street lamps had only just started to flicker with life and their faint orange glow cast a warm light on the skin of his hand as he reached up to knock on the door. He figured he should act like a gentleman now that they were lovers and the idea of surprising her on her doorstep with flowers was one that he just couldn't resist.

He took a step back, holding the flowers behind his back as he waited for the door to open but nothing happened. Frowning, Adrien then reached out to knock again. There was still nothing. His sensitive hearing couldn't pick up anything behind the door and there didn't seem to be any movement inside the bakery. He tried to peer through the glass of the door but there didn't seem to be anybody there. There were no shapes moving in the darkness, no sign of any life at all. The place was just empty.

Adrien tried to open the door but it was locked. He shook the knocker in frustration, making the door rattle on its hinges but there was still no sign of Marinette. _Where is she?_ He thought, a sudden wave of panic hitting him like a brick wall. _She's never usually out at this time. Is she in trouble? Has Gabriel gotten a hold of her?_ Possibilities were suddenly racing through his mind like a swarm of angry insects and his fears seized him like a vice.

"Marinette!" He shouted as he banged his fist on the door, causing the old wood to shudder. "Are you in there? Please, answer me!"

He bent his head down, scanning the ground for something he could maybe use to pick the lock when his eyes snagged on a flash of white. He paused as he spotted something pointed and white sticking out from under the doormat, almost looking like it was peeping out at him. He bent down and pulled on it, easily slipping it out from under the doormat and his eyes widened when he saw it was an envelope with his name on the front. It was clearly in Marinette's writing and his heart thudded again in fear at the sight of it. Marinette had never left him a letter before. What did this mean? Was it some kind of distress note?

Fingers fumbling, he hastily ripped the thing open and a piece of white folded paper fell out onto his palm. He hurriedly flipped it open, his eyes scanning the page frantically as he felt Plagg pop his head out from the security of his hoodie. As his eyes followed the neat lines of writing, he felt his blood go cold, each word worse than the last.

 _Shadow,_

 _I'm sorry to tell you this way but I have no other choice. I have tried to do this but I don't think I can anymore. It's getting too hard and complicated and I can't keep going through this._

 _We can't see each other anymore. I don't want you coming back here. I know it's hard but I'm sorry. I have to do this._

 _I hope you find happiness without me,_

 _Marinette_

Every word in Marinette's handwriting felt like a knife in Adrien's core. For a long moment, he just stood there on the bakery doorstep, his hands shaking with such force he nearly tore the paper. His heart felt like it was shattering, crumbling into dust as Marinette trampled all over it with her dainty feet. _How could she?_ Was all he could think as a sob ripped its way out of his throat and tears started to prick at the corners of his eyes. _How could she think I would find happiness when she's not there?_

His body was shaking as he tried not to start wailing outside the bakery and Plagg was at a loss for what to do. He had been with Adrien for so long, had seen him through so much hardship but he had never seen his kitten look so _broken_ before. His father had done everything to try and destroy his spirit, keeping him isolated indoors, working him to the bone, trying to quash his mother's memory, yet the thing that had shattered him was a few words from the girl he had fallen so hard for. Plagg could feel the panic in him start to rise again; this situation was too close to what had happened in the past and when he looked up at Adrien's anguished features, he was starkly reminded of Tomas. He flew out of the confines of Adrien's hoodie and hovered in front of his face, not caring who saw him; he refused to let what happened to Tomas happen to his boy.

"Adrien, listen to me," he said, keeping his voice calm and level as he rubbed Adrien's cheeks with his paws. "We need to go home. We can't stay here, somebody will see or hear and think you're a burglar or something. We need to go home where it's safe…"

"Marinette…" Adrien sobbed her name as he stared down at the name on the bottom of the letter and then at the bakery door. Looking inside, he was reminded of all the times he had spent in there, sampling her pastries as they chatted by the window, and a fresh wave of pain rolled over him. "Marinette, please, I can't…"

"I'm sorry, Adrien," Plagg said, guiding his face away so Adrien had to stare into his green eyes. "I really am. But we need to go. We can talk about this at home, okay?"

More tears flowed down Adrien's cheeks, forging silvery paths on his skin but he gave a small nod. He turned away from the bakery and began to slowly walk away, letting the piece of paper and the flowers slip from his grasp and spill all over the pavement. He kept his head down as he dragged his feet towards the park. He didn't turn around for one last look back at the bakery; if he had, he might have seen Marinette staring out of her bedroom window, tears falling down her own cheeks as she watched him walk away.

OOO

Plagg had hoped that the walk back home under the cover of darkness might calm Adrien down a little, but he had been very wrong. As they walked back to the manor, Adrien's shoulders got more hunched, the tension rippling through his body as his hands curled into fists in his pockets. He tore up the wall to his bedroom with more aggression than Plagg had ever seen him use, his teeth gritted as he gave an angry grunt and Plagg had gulped as he nuzzled into the side of his neck. He had hoped the little sign of affection might soften the edge of some of the anger he felt but it had been to no avail.

"Why would she do that to me, Plagg?!" He raged, pacing angrily through his room with all the force of a hurricane. His feet were thundering on the floor and his arms were angrily flailing; he had nearly crashed into several things and knocked them over but he was so enraged he hadn't even noticed. He was so filled with fury that he no longer seemed to care what stuff he broke or how much noise he was making and that made Plagg feel really fearful. Adrien had always been so careful, so cautious not to make a fuss in his home in case it brought his father's wrath upon him but now he almost appeared to be crying out for it, just so he could have something to push back against. "After everything I told her, after everything we did… She knew what was happening to me, I'm the only one who knows what my father is doing to her, why doesn't she want to see me?!"

"Adrien, listen to me," Plagg close to pleaded with him. He could see Epidd perched prettily on the end of Adrien's desk, an evil glint flashing in his eyes as he watched the boy rage and it struck fear deep into the dark kwami's heart. In this state, he knew Epidd could easily take advantage of Adrien, just like he had done before and he desperately didn't want it to go that far. "Just calm down for a minute, we need to talk about this with a level head. We can't work out what is going on if our heads aren't clear…"

"I don't want to calm down!" Adrien shouted, whipping round to face Plagg with so much force, the kwami was almost propelled backwards. His face was twisted with anger, the burning emotion contorting his features so much that he was barely recognisable as the model whose face had graced so many billboards across the city. His hands had formed themselves into claws, wringing at the air like it was his father's neck but his eyes were brimming with tears, and it broke Plagg's heart.

 _How do I save you Adrien?_ He felt like begging, suddenly wanting the kitten he had once had back. _How could I have stopped this?_

As he floated there, at a loss for what to do, Epidd took advantage of the silence by pressing himself forwards and murmuring in Adrien's ear, smiling wickedly over at Plagg as he did so.

"So, you should," He said, his voice thick as molasses. "You should be angry. How many emotions have you had to suppress my poor boy? This is just something that can't be bottled up."

"You get away from him!" Plagg shouted, trying to get Adrien's attention back. "He's not your charge, he's mine! Listen Adrien, I know you're hurting but there must be something behind this. Marinette loves you, I know she does, she would never want to really hurt you. There has to be something else going on, maybe she's under stress or something…"

"Maybe that's right." Epidd suddenly said and Plagg stared at him in astonishment. "Maybe there is something else happening in her life." He turned back to Adrien, flashing the boy a sympathetic glance as he stroked one white paw down his cheek. "Adrien, didn't you say your father was trying to blackmail Marinette into joining his company? Wasn't he using emails, telephone calls and even… letters to try and make her do what he wanted?"

"Yeah… yeah, he was," Adrien looked shocked for a moment as realisation dawned on him before it shifted back into anger, only more powerful than before. "You think he found out about us and made her break up with me!?"

"What else could it be?" Epidd asked sweetly, his voice dripping with sickly sweetness as he floated closer to Adrien ear. "We both know your father has spies everywhere, it would make sense he would be watching the woman he has his eyes on. He must have seen you visiting her and been overwhelmed with jealousy- he wants her and that means nobody else can have her. He must have told her to break up with you and threatened her to make her more pliant… it's either that or… no, it's too horrible to think about."

"What?!" Adrien asked, his voice wavering in desperation as he hung onto every word. "What's too horrible to think about?!"

"Well…" Epidd replied, his voice teasing out each second until Adrien looked about to snap. "Do you remember those packages he sent her? The ones she hid away from you and didn't tell you about? What if she hid them away because she was ashamed of them for another reason?"

"What are you getting at, you putrid wart?!" Plagg snapped.

"All I'm saying is, what if Marinette had already betrayed you for your father?" Epidd said and Adrien gave a strangled gasp.

"No! She would never do that!"

"Do you really know that Adrien?" Epidd said, his expression a mockery of a grief-stricken look and Plagg wanted to punch it off his face. "You do know what your father was offering her, right? Fame, fortune, a chance to put her ideas out there, and achieve her dreams… not many people would turn that down. Especially, if it came with the offer to be a millionaire's wife. And didn't Marinette seem a lot happier after that whole restaurant ordeal? She said it was because Gabriel had apparently stopped with his blackmail but what if he stopped because she had already agreed to be his?"

"That can't be true!" Plagg spat out. "She was disgusted by him, she would never agree to that! Adrien tell him!"

However, Adrien seemed too stunned to speak. His face looked bloodless, his skin now sickly white like melting wax and he was visibly trembling, with either anger or fear, Plagg couldn't tell. "You… you really think she would do that?" He almost whined, sounding like a kicked puppy. "You really think she would betray me like that?"

"I don't know, Adrien," Epidd said, somehow still managing to sound innocent in all of this. "But I'm just looking at the evidence. Do you remember those sheets of paper you found in that box Marinette tried to hide from you? All those letters your father wrote to her describing what he wanted to do to her, how he would pleasure her again and again and again? They were very descriptive, weren't they? There was so much detail in there, it was almost like he had done it…" He turned to Plagg and gave him the widest and sickest smile the black god had ever seen, grinning manically as he poured poison into Adrien's ear. "If that was true Adrien, how much has Marinette betrayed you? If those two were together all that time, how much has he used her body? Think of all the things he wrote about her Adrien, think of all the things they could have possibly done…"

Images flashed like camera bulbs in front of Adrien's eyes and his body went so limp, he almost went crashing to the floor. Epidd's words brought back the things he had read on the sheets in that box, along with the image of that nude lacy nightdress and the silver jewelled handcuffs, and the thought of them being put into use made him sick to his stomach. He suddenly imagined Marinette dressed in that nightdress, nothing underneath with the silver cuffs winking around her wrists as she laid herself out on the sheets of a bed, her eyes begging for her body to be touched. Except in this nightmare, it was his father that she was enticing, Gabriel who she was begging to ravish her and the thought of the two of them wrapped in a passionate embrace was enough to make him cry out like he was in physical pain.

"Please, no! God, please no…"

"That can't be right!" Plagg shouted, looking flabbergasted not just at the fact Epidd would even suggest such a thing but also at the fact Adrien was seemingly torturing himself to believe it. "That doesn't even make sense, why would Gabriel send her packages of things they had already used together? And wouldn't you have noticed if Marinette was in the manor? Adrien please, can't you see that this is nonsense-"

"ENOUGH!" Adrien suddenly yelled, his voice deeper and rougher than before and Plagg felt like his heart had dropped to the floor, sinking like a stone. He had heard that voice only once before and it chilled him to hear it now. He felt like his veins were running with ice as Adrien looked up at him, his lips curled back in a snarl and his teeth bared. His eyes, his stunning emerald eyes, were beginning to go golden, the swirling colour invading his irises and as Adrien's chest heaved with the weight of his anger, his hair began to grow longer and messier and his teeth grew into pointed sharp canines.

"I'm sick of all of them!" He continued, still in that deep voice which sounded less and less like the Adrien Plagg knew with every syllable. "Ladybug, my father, Marinette… they can all go to hell!"

Epidd was grinning evilly, his eyes glowing brighter as he clapped his hands in glee. "Yes, yes, yes!" He crowed joyfully. "You've finally unlocked the greatest powers of the ring! Oh, all that anger! All that sweet, sweet betrayal! It's like a candy store!" He greedily smacked his lips and inhaled, sighing like the air was filled with the sweetest scent and he was revelling in it. He flew down in front of Adrien's face, patting his cheeks softly and blocking his view of Plagg as he spoke in a low menacing voice.

"Do you remember why you called me Adrien? You called me because you wanted revenge on all those who wronged you. It wasn't fair what you had to go through then and it's not fair what you're going through now. I have given you all the powers I have, you've enabled me to give you all the secret destructive powers of the ring and now, you can have your payback. Ladybug, Marinette, Gabriel… They will all be nothing but names in the dust once you've finished with them."

"Yes…" Adrien hissed lowly, a wide evil grin spreading across his face as his body started to be enveloped by piecing white light. "Yes… they will be nothing… I will show them what true power is… I will show them what happens when you betray me!"

"Adrien no!" Plagg tried to call to him but it was no use; half of Adrien's body had already been taken over by the light. He could see Epidd's form was starting to spark like he was purely made of light and he could feel the pull on his own body as its power flooded over him, drawing him closer to its core. He could see Adrien was too far gone, he could see the powers of the ring were engulfing him, draining his emotions to fuel the transformation, but he still had to try, even as he felt himself being sucked towards the ring. "Adrien!"

"Yes, Adrien! Feel the power coursing through you!" Epidd laughed as light flooded the room, shattering glass and taking over Adrien's body completely. "Now, I can truly fulfil my purpose!"

 _I'm sorry Tikki,_ Plagg managed to channel through his mind, just before both he and Epidd were sent hurling towards Adrien's finger and were swallowed up into the ring. _I'm so sorry, Adrien. I failed you._

OOO

At that moment across town, Tikki shot up in bed and gave a cry.

"No! Plagg!"

"Tikki? Tikki, are you OK?" There was a rustling sound from behind her as Tikki listened to Marinette untangling herself from her bedsheets and going to flick the light on but she couldn't turn around. Her body felt frozen, the only part of her moving was her heaving chest and her limbs felt numb compared to the feeling of dread that was sweeping through her. Only a few seconds ago, she had been blissfully asleep but now, in this state, she couldn't imagine ever feeling blissful again.

"It's happened." She whispered, her voice shaky and her eyes tearing up. "Oh, Plagg…"

"Tikki?" She heard Marinette call her name again before she was suddenly being cupped in gentle, warm hands and being lifted to her charge's face. Marinette looked at her with wide worried eyes, her fingers tenderly brushing away the tears that Tikki hadn't even realised were pouring down her cheeks. Her gentleness only made her want to cry more. This poor girl had no idea what had just happened, she had no idea that both she had her Chat Noir were potentially doomed.

"What's wrong?" Marinette asked her, her voice filled with concern. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"No… no I'm fine" Tikki eventually said. "But… Marinette, something terrible has just happened, I felt it. Chat Blanc had been released."

"What?" Marinette looked down at her confused. "Tikki, Chat Blanc has been terrorising Paris for the past few months now. He's the one I've been trying to track for forever, don't you remember?"

Tikki sighed. "I'm sorry to tell you this Marinette but that wasn't Chat Blanc at his most powerful. His powers up til now have been nothing compared to what he will do next."

Marinette's eyes widened in shock for a second before they narrowed down at the small bug god. "Wait a minute," she said. "How do you know so much about him? How could you feel it? You've never mentioned anything about feeling him before."

Tikki squirmed a little under her gaze, feeling a little guilt seep in among the wave of dread she was still caught up in. "There's some things I haven't told you about Chat Blanc." She finally said. "Some things I couldn't tell you… like the fact that he's Chat Noir."

"What?!" Marinette screamed almost hysterically, nearly dropping Tikki in her shock. "Chat Noir has been Chat Blanc the whole time? And he had the hypocrisy to get mad at me when I suggested it…" She turned back to Tikki, who cowered a little under her betrayed look. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier? We could have had him freed months ago! I could have purified him!"

"It's not like that!" Tikki protested. "This isn't an akuma that you can work your Ladybug magic on! This is something completely different because it comes from inside Chat's miraculous! And I couldn't tell you because I made an agreement with Plagg centuries ago, that we couldn't tell either of our charges about the other in case it messed with fate!"

"Who's Plagg?" Marinette asked and Tikki visibly hesitated. It felt wrong after so many years of following the rules to finally break their pact but these were no longer normal circumstances. Marinette was about to find herself fighting a huge battle and Tikki could only prepare her by telling her all she knew. She gave a sigh.

"Plagg is the kwami that lives inside the black cat ring," she explained. "Just like I transform you into Ladybug, he's the one that can transform people into Chat Noir. His powers are based on destruction, the opposite of my powers of creation. That's why we are Yin and Yang."

"So, what's happened to him?" Marinette asked, sitting down on the edge of her bed. She had the feeling Tikki was about to give her some very bad news, her knees already felt a little shaky from what she had just heard- the last thing she needed to do at this time was faint. "Has he gone rogue or something?"

"No, no, Plagg has nothing to do with this," Tikki quickly told her. "It's Epidd who's to blame. He embodies the darkest part of the ring's powers, the inevitable evil that comes with the powers of destruction. Most of the time, he can be contained in the ring and many Chat Noir's can go their whole lives never knowing he's there. But sometimes, when a wielder of the Black Cat miraculous feels enough anger, too much for just themselves to bear, he can feed off of it, and gain enough power to take control. That is when Chat Blanc is released."

"So that means…" Marinette's hand rose to cover her mouth as she realised what that meant and tears spilled down her cheeks. "Oh, Chat Noir… my poor kitty…"

Tikki gravely nodded. "I know. I'm so sorry Marinette."

Marinette gave a sob in response, her lungs trying to gulp down air as they burned from lack of oxygen. She had known for years that Chat Noir had come from a difficult life; she had been the one he had leaned on when he cried over his father's cruel neglect and his harsh work. He had never mentioned his mother, except for that horrendous day with Dark Desires when he had screamed for her like a small child, his voice so full of desperation, she wondered how he hadn't shattered like glass. Now, it appeared he finally had and tears of regret started pouring down her cheeks. She hadn't seen him since that night at Notre Dame, she had been too scared of rejection to message him afterwards, and now she sorely wished she had.

"I should have done more," she whispered, voice wavering like it would break any second. "I knew what his life was like at home, but I didn't know what to do about it and then when I realised he loved me, I was so harsh… I should have done more. Then maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"I don't know how much you could have done," Tikki admitted. "Epidd is a powerful and persuasive force that can't be unlocked just from a simple rejection. There has to be years' worth of negative emotion and turmoil for him to be awakened."

"Then it's happened before?" Marinette asked and Tikki suddenly looked away. "Tikki, is this a common thing?"

"No, it's not common," Tikki said. "Like I said, most Chat Noir's never find out about Epidd because even though the Black Cat miraculous is attracted to trouble and troubled souls, many simply never reach that level of darkness. There have been a few who discovered him and had some of his powers, like the Chat Blanc you met, but with the help of Plagg and their Ladybug, they were able to escape from his influence." Marinette gave a pained expression and Tikki bit her lip; she hadn't meant to make the girl feel guiltier but it was obvious her words had. "As for unlocking all of his dark powers, there's only ever been one Chat Noir who did that and his story…" She stopped as more tears leaked from her eyes and she only snapped back to Marinette when the girl gently nudged her with her fingers.

"What happened Tikki? What did he do?"

"It's too horrible and too tragic to think about." Tikki wept, trying to hold herself back from crying but it was already too late; her tears were falling thick and fast like a rainstorm and she couldn't stop it now. "It hurts so much still and it nearly destroyed Plagg- he still can barely manage hearing his name."

"Tikki please, you have to tell me," Marinette close to begged, sinking down into her bed and blinking at her with her puffy red eyes, made sore from crying. "I know it's hard, but maybe there's something in there that will help me defeat Chat Blanc this time around. Please?"

Tikki looked up into her face and she sighed. She had kept so much from this girl in an attempt to protect her but all it had done was put her in more danger. Now she had to make it right and maybe there was something in what Marinette said- maybe there was something in this story that could help, no matter how tragic and hopeless it was. She took a few long breaths, steadying herself for the emotional ride that was about to come before she started to speak.

"You remember how I told you that there have been many Ladybug's and Chat Noir's, ever since the creation of the miraculous?" Marinette gave a nod and Tikki went on. "Well, the miraculous will go to wherever there are people worthy of it and so myself and my fellow kwamis, including Plagg, have travelled the world and seen many different eras. However, I think the worst place and time we ever landed in was in medieval Germany, the time of the Holy Roman Empire and during the Black Death."

"The land was full of despair and hopelessness. The people were already so poor and to see the disease sweep the land… it took everything, lives, families… it felt like society was falling apart. The rich were trying to hold on to the system but even they weren't safe, religious fanaticism took hold, people were whipping themselves in the street, all of them kept wondering what they had done to deserve this great punishment from God." Tikki shook her head, her mind filling with the horrors she had seen back then, ones she wished she could remove. "That was the world where myself and Plagg found ourselves, with our charges who were trying to fight the evils that came with this plague."

"Plagg's charge was a young man named Tomas. He was a novice monk in the Catholic Church, a deeply religious young man who when he first met Plagg, he believed he was a demon and threw a Bible at him." She chuckled lightly at the thought, remembering how indignant Plagg had been about it. "Later however, he saw the miraculous as a gift from God, one that enabled him to do His work and he was one of the most loyal and strongest kittens Plagg ever had. Even though plague was wrecking his world, he still always saw good in it, saying God loved his creation and he would never let mankind fall. He had such hope in him… it only made it worse when he too fell in love with his Ladybug and it tormented his soul."

"How was that so bad?" Marinette asked. "I know he was a monk but surely that's not so bad to warrant that level of suffering?"

Tikki sighed. "Maybe not, but it wasn't just the fact that he was a monk that put Tomas through so much pain. Ladybug's and Chat Noir's aren't always opposite genders and this was one of those times." Marinette's eyes went wide and Tikki could only nod to acknowledge her realisation. "My charge was called Charles; he came from one of Europe's most noble families and he was one of the gentlest and most giving souls to ever bear the miraculous. He had been educated with Europe's most distinguished scholars, he was witty and sharp with his tongue and he was beautiful too. His beauty was the stuff poems wrote about and minstrels sang about with his golden hair and wide brown eyes like cinnamon… he was just a joy to be around and it was no wonder Tomas fell for him. He saw him as an angel, someone who was perfect. His only imperfection was that he was a man who was far out of his reach."

"Tomas couldn't bear the fact that he had fallen in love with someone of his own sex. It was forbidden by his Church and went against everything he stood for, yet he would cry himself to sleep wishing that Charles was by his side. He told Plagg he hated himself, that he would touch his body wishing his hands belonged to Charles and then he would want to burn himself afterwards. This was made worse by the fact Charles had no idea- the two of them had a close bond like many Ladybugs and Chat Noirs, my chosen never saw that his innocent friendship was hurting his friend so much. Tomas longed for him for three years, craving his touch, his approval, and his love. Charles never even guessed that his best friend desired him that way."

"One day, it was all too much for Tomas and he set fire to his Scriptures in his despair. That was the event that triggered Epidd's appearance; he promised Tomas the chance to have great powers, to change the world, and Tomas was all too eager to take it. He became Chat Blanc and started causing destruction wherever he went; he destroyed everywhere he thought was a den of sin, brothels, banking houses, the residences of the rich and wealthy… he justified it again by saying it was God's work and he was just ridding the world of sin. Charles tried to talk to him, he sensed he wasn't happy but Tomas couldn't tell him the reason behind it. He feared his friend would be so disgusted with him, he wouldn't want to know him anymore."

"This went on for a few months and there was a time when Plagg thought he could bring him back. He was getting less zealous and Epidd could feel his grip was slipping but then Charles revealed some news that made Tomas's world crumble. Charles had been betrothed to a lovely young woman, the daughter of a minor branch of the royal family and, surprisingly for a marriage like that, they were well-suited for each other and they fell in love. Charles couldn't help himself from telling his best friend about the marriage, not knowing it was destroying him from the inside, and then as a final blow, he invited Tomas to the wedding. That was the last straw for the young priest. He couldn't bear that Charles would be with someone else and Epidd was able to take control again. Plagg tried his hardest to stop him but he couldn't in time and Tomas became Chat Blanc and absorbed all of the ring's darkest powers."

"He arrived just when the church was filled up. The wedding was about to start, the bride and groom before the altar when Tomas appeared in the doorway, except it wasn't fully Tomas. Epidd had twisted his mind so much, he couldn't truly see or understand what he was doing. All he could feel was anger, all he wanted to do was destroy and his target was the innocent girl that had taken Charles's heart. He went to attack, Charles rushed in to save his bride… Tomas had too much power, he didn't know exactly what he had awakened and before he knew it, the whole church had been destroyed… that and the surrounding village and forest."

"He was that powerful?" Marinette choked out. Tikki could only give her a grave look.

"Yes, that powerful. Charles never stood a chance and neither did anyone else. Tomas unleashed so much power, he collapsed afterwards. He woke up in a giant crater, just blackness and rubble around him for miles. I remember he kept asking if he was in Hell… and then he saw the bodies." Tikki had to pause for a long moment, screwing her eyes shut to stop any more tears from falling. "They didn't even look like people… they were just blackened lumps, they looked almost like coal. Even though, they all looked the same, Tomas could still tell which one belonged to Charles… he was still wearing his miraculous earrings, the ones he used to hide under his long hair and then there was me, weeping on his chest because I couldn't give him any powers that could have saved him. Tomas had never seen me before but he knew enough about kwamis to recognise I was one and when he realised what he had done… I've never heard anyone scream the way he did. It was like listening to an animal howling and I remember he just clung to the body and wouldn't let him go. I could hear him arguing aloud with Epidd; that evil thing wanted him to go wreck more destruction, it's all he wanted to do. He kept trying to persuade him, tempting him by saying he would be pleasing God but Tomas didn't want to. He just wanted to lie there with Charles, to never leave him, and that's what he ended up doing. The pair of them were later found together in the centre of the crater, Tomas's body wrapped around his friend like he was trying to hide his sin when his only sin was to fall in love."

"But… that can't be right!" Marinette cried out. "He can't have just died like that! How did you stop Epidd? How did he get free of being Chat Blanc? It can't just end there!"

"Unfortunately, it did." Tikki said sadly.

"But… how?" Marinette spluttered. "Did he kill himself or something?"

"No! He would have never done that!" Tikki told her. "He valued life far too much for that!"

"Then what happened?!" Marinette asked, sounding almost hysterical. "How did he die?"

Tikki gave a sob before she stared down at the floor. "Epidd is an evil force, he's the essence of all the darkness in the ring, and he may have great power but he is also incredibly weak. His powers are entirely dependent on the emotions of whoever is holding the miraculous. If they are happy then he has no power but if they are angry or jealous or upset then he grows stronger. He feeds off the emotions of the miraculous wielder, he literally drains them to increase his power. However, there are limits; the weaker he is, the less power he can drain. It's only when the wielder's emotions increase that can he get stronger and when he gets stronger he can drain more and that allows him more power to manipulate… it's a vicious cycle."

"So, this Epidd has been feeding off Chat Noir's emotions?" Marinette asked and Tikki nodded. "But I don't understand… what does that have to do with him dying?"

Tikki could feel more tears threatening to fall from her eyes and she was only just holding them back enough to answer. "What happened with Tomas was that he unleashed Epidd at his strongest. This meant he had all of his powers at their fullest and that meant he could drain more than just emotions- he could drain the wielders life force too."

"No." Marinette covered her mouth with her hands, her face pale like she was going to be sick. "So, if Chat Noir is kept as Chat Blanc…"

"Then Epidd will drain his life force too." Tikki answered bleakly. "He will drain him until there is nothing left of him."

"So… so what can we do Tikki?" Marinette felt tears sliding down her cheeks as she stared at Tikki. The kwami was a god, there had to be a way for her to defeat Epidd and save her partner, but Tikki just looked destroyed.

"I don't know Marinette. The only way he got defeated last time was because he lost his source of power- the ring was taken off of Tomas and given to someone else. I don't even know if there is a way to defeat him. The only thing I know is that Chat Noir is in really big trouble and if we don't do something soon… there may be no way we can save him."


	13. Chapter 13

_Hi again! It's been a while since this was last updated I know but there's been a lot going on recently and things haven't gone too well. I was sick for a while which meant I couldn't really write and I've only just moved into a new house so that took up time as well... I'm very grateful to Yamina20 for patiently waiting and to all you guys as well. Please know that this only updates so infrequently because we want to get these chapters absolutely perfect._

 _This is one I am really proud of and I hope you all enjoy it. Please review, it means the world to both of us!_

The air was bitterly cold as Marinette walked through the park towards the Agreste manor, the sick feeling twisting at her insides only growing worse with each step she took towards her destination. The evening was falling quickly, too quickly for her liking, and the sky was alight with a bright orange that almost felt like it was mocking her with its cheery shade. _It's a sky that should have been the backdrop of a summer party or a romantic date_ _,_ she thought sadly as she looked up at the cracks of colour between the tree branches, _not the backdrop of someone going to meet their doom._ She was under no illusions; that was where she was heading and there was no way she could back out.

She tugged the folds of her coat tighter around her body as another chilly breeze tumbled through the park and shook all the trees, making them rattle like maracas. The long brown trench coat was several sizes too big for her and the material flapped around her like the skirt of a giant ballgown. But it belonged to her father and so when she buried her face in the heavy collar, she could still smell his familiar scent of rosemary, baked bread and cologne. The smell was faint but it was still there and it was the only thing that was giving her the courage to put one foot in front of the other. She had to do this, both for herself, her family and for her friends. Tonight, she was determined that Gabriel would never be able to hurt anyone else she loved again. She just had to make sure her plan went without a hitch and then, once she had finally finished with him, she could start with her other, more important task; finding Chat Blanc and returning Chat Noir to her.

She still had no idea how she was going to go about that; Tikki had been explicitly clear that nobody had ever gone into this state and emerged alive but Marinette was certain there had to be a way. This Epidd had to have a weakness, there had to be a way to defeat him that didn't just involve him draining all the life from his source, and she had spent the whole day trying to come up with possible ways to get her kitty back. But every single one had either already been tried, was too dangerous, or just plain wouldn't work. Still, Marinette hadn't given up hope.

"There _has_ to be a way!" She had told Tikki stubbornly, her face a mask of determination as she cracked her knuckles and scoured her brain once again. "There has to be some way to reverse all this and I'm going to find it, no matter what!"

However, her plans had to be cut short as she had been forced to get ready to go and see Gabriel. She had no choice but to go and see him; it was one thing threatening her but going after the man she loved was a very different thing altogether- there was no way she was going to risk him getting hurt. No matter how many assurances he gave her, she was still regretting ever getting Shadow involved in her nightmare of a mess. _I wish he'd never seen me that day by the river with those thugs,_ she thought sadly. _Then maybe he wouldn't be in danger…_

Another gust of wind hit her like a brick wall, slamming into her coat and making it billow out like a sail. The flapping coat exposed the long line of her bare pale legs and she felt her face burn in shame as she tried to wrestle it back under her control. The outfit that Gabriel had insisted she wear was not only completely inappropriate for the weather, it was also shamefully small. It was heavily based on the dress she had worn the night she had met him at the restaurant but was far skimpier. The original black dress had been burned in Marinette's back garden but she found herself almost missing it as she peered down at herself. That dress had at least been a dress- this was little more than underwear.

Instead of black, this dress was coloured a deep crimson like the colour of blood and looked more like a two-piece than a dress. There were three thin straps on each shoulder, made of red ribbon with a small bow on each one and the top had a sweetheart neckline but that was where all resemblance to her old dress ended. The top was tight, very low-cut and it looked more like a corset than a top as there was very visible boning in the structure, covered only by a thin layer of flimsy red silk. There was a large gap cut in the middle that exposed her belly with only a few trimmings of red lace that fluttered down over it in a measly attempt to look like it was decent. The skirt then hugged her hips and tightly clung to her arse before ending just halfway down her thighs with another hem of the hopeless lace that failed to conceal anything. It felt like an outfit a belly dancer would wear and that only made her feel worse; did Gabriel want her to dance for his own sadistic whims or something? He really had some strange fantasies. The look was completed by a pair of small red heels that had straps dotted with red rhinestones and pinched at her feet each time she took a step. The whole outfit, combined with the eyeliner and red lipstick he had asked her to wear in a note that had come inside the package made her feel like a painted whore, and she hated it.

Unlike last time, there was no car to pick her up, so she had been forced to make her way there herself. She was certain Gabriel had planned for this; he wanted her to be humiliated by forcing her to walk through a public space, dressed like that, and she felt so embarrassed and ashamed of it, she wanted the ground to swallow her up so nobody would set eyes on her. Thankfully, it seemed like somebody was smiling down on her as the park was mercifully empty and she hadn't encountered a single soul on her route to the manor. That made her breathe a little more easily. The only other things that were helping her to stay calm and not want to run back to the safety of the bakery were the presence of Tikki hidden away in one of the oversized coat's pockets and the plan she had crafted that she hoped would be Gabriel's downfall.

Her hand moved to the lining on the inside of the coat and pinched it to reassure herself that it was still there. The thin wire snaked upwards alongside the zip from a little hidden recorder in the hem up to a microphone embedded in her collar, the perfect height to record anybody speaking. She had managed to get it from Alya, who had easily threaded it through the coat and taught her how to use it but then she had asked her what she was using it for. Marinette had been forced to lie and say it was because she felt unsafe walking through the streets after that attack on her. It wasn't a full lie- she definitely didn't feel safe knowing Gabriel's eyes were always on her- but she had felt guilty when Alya had given her a sympathetic hug and then offered to walk with her anytime she needed it. She hated lying to her friends but she had no other choice- she couldn't let them know just what was going on, and how much of a dark cloud there was hanging over all of their heads. However, after today all of that was going to be gone.

Her plan was to use the wire to record Gabriel speaking to her when she got to the manor, making him reveal that not only was he sexually harassing her but that he was also blackmailing her and threatening her family and friends. Then, after getting what she wanted, she would leave, go to her friend Alya and ask her print it in the press; Alya would do anything to help her friend and get a big scoop, her newspaper would be unable to resist such a big scandal. By tomorrow morning, it would be all over the news and with her undeniable proof, the police would be forced to investigate. She still had that first package he had sent her, plus several examples of the emails he had bombarded her with as well as her telephone records. She had evidence practically spilling out of her ears and, no matter how far the police were buried in Gabriel's pocket, they would have to take it seriously to save their reputation. Marinette knew that this wasn't going to be an easy thing to do; she too would be thrown into the public eye along with Gabriel, and the man had many fans who were certain to come to his defence. No matter what evidence she showed, she was still going to be a young woman in the middle of a sex scandal and so there would be legions of people ready to blame her for the whole thing, flaunting the fact she went to the press first as a sign she was only seeking attention instead of justice. She knew it was going to be difficult, for her and the people around her but this was truly her only option. Going straight to the police would get her nowhere and it was likely the evidence would vanish in their hands, never to be seen again. This was her only course of action and she was going to take it. She was _not_ going to let him win.

Through the lines of the trees, she could see the outline of the manor as she steadily approached it. The shadow of the large building loomed over the park and for a moment in the sunset, it looked more like a haunted house than the elegant building it had been designed to be. Marinette shuddered at the sight of it and Tikki, sensing her distress from inside her pocket, dared to poke her head out.

"Marinette, are you OK?" she asked softly, her blue eyes filled with concern for her charge.

Marinette bit at her ruby red lip. "I'm scared Tikki. I don't have a clue what Gabriel's set up for me there. It kind of feels like I'm walking into a trap."

"Same here." Tikki shivered herself when she looked up and saw they were only a few minutes from the large building, which was getting closer every second, looking more and more grim. "I really don't like this place."

"It's horrible," Marinette said grimly. "I can't believe I used to look up to this man. I can remember passing this place when making deliveries for my parents when I was younger and I used to think it was wondrous that so many great designs came from here." She sighed. "I never thought someone who made such beautiful things could be so evil."

"Marinette, maybe you shouldn't meet him," Tikki floated out of her pocket and hovered in front of her, making the young woman stop in her tracks. "This could be really dangerous, you're all alone and you're dressed like this, it makes you very vulnerable to him. I dread to think what's waiting for you there… maybe we should just go home, we can come up with a better plan…"

"We can't Tikki," Marinette told her regretfully. "If I don't show up, he'll be really angry and he'll take it out on Shadow. I can't let that happen Tikki. I'm Ladybug, I'm supposed to protect people and if that means I have to do horrible things to do it, then that's what I have to do."

"You're not supposed to risk your life though!" Tikki cried out, tears forming in her eyes as she looked distressed. "Please Marinette, I don't want you to get hurt!"

"I won't Tikki, I'll be fine I promise," Marinette said as she raised her hands to pull the kwami into a hug and lightly kissed her head. "I promise if anything goes wrong, I'll get out of there as fast as I can."

"OK," Tikki sniffed. She knew she wasn't going to persuade Marinette to leave but the least she could do was try to protect her. "Marinette, I want you to promise me something; if things start to go wrong and you can't see any way out, I want you to transform into Ladybug."

Marinette's eyes went wide. "But what about my-"

"Your life is far more important to me than your identity." Tikki said firmly before she pressed her own kiss to Marinette's cheek. "Now, please promise me?"

"OK Tikki." Marinette firmly promised as she guided the kwami back into her pocket and started to walk again. "I promise."

It wasn't long before she arrived at the gates, the tall metal structure reminding her of the bars of a cage as she stood before it. They were brand new and she suddenly remembered how Chat Blanc had once stood before these gates, destroying them with just a touch before he yelled for somebody to leave a mysterious "her" alone. _I wonder who Chat Noir wanted to protect,_ Marinette pondered as she paused there. _He must have cared a lot about her. Could it have been his mother, the woman he had yelled for that day with Dark Desires?_ She hummed briefly. _Maybe she could be the key to getting him back._

A guard standing at the gates suddenly approached her with a gruff shout of "Name!" and Marinette jumped at the sound.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng." She quickly answered, hating how her voice was shaking a little with fear. "Mr Agreste is expecting me."

The guard gave another grunt and a nod, appearing to recognise her name as he gave a signal and the gates slowly started to creak open. He jabbed at them with his thumb and Marinette whispered a quick thank you before she began to walk towards the imposing house. She felt like she was Daniel walking into the lion's den, but unlike him, she had no faith that somebody would be there to keep her safe and her feet felt as heavy as lead as she dragged herself towards the front of the giant mansion.

To her surprise and deepest horror, Gabriel was waiting for her on the steps. He was standing there in his usual crisp white suit like a general standing on a battlefield after winning a great victory and his eyes were hungrily following Marinette like she was a prized meal. Either side of him stood two huge bodyguards with guns at their belts, the same ones who had accompanied Madame Sancoeur when she came to the bakery to threaten her into having dinner with him- she recognised them from the way they smirked at her, like they couldn't wait for her to cause trouble so they could restrain her. They too were leering at her appearance, like they knew what she was wearing under her long coat and that only made her gather it even more tightly around her. Keeping her expression as scathing as possible, she walked towards them with her head held high, the only sound being the clicks of her heels on the stone steps. She finally stopped a few feet away from the small menacing group, keeping a good distance between them so she could run if things got messy but also keeping close enough for their voices to be picked up by the wire, which she quickly flicked on.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng," Gabriel was the first to break the silence. "It's so lovely that you decided to drop by for a visit. Welcome to my humble home."

He waved at the large house that rose up behind him like a third huge bodyguard of stone and Marinette gave a snort. "You gave me no choice but to come here," she snapped at him. "You threatened to hurt someone I love if I didn't. I'd hardly call that 'dropping by.'"

Her tone was dripping with venom but Gabriel just seemed to shrug it off like it was nothing. "It is of no matter- you are here now," he said, taking a step towards her as his bodyguards mirrored him, moving towards Marinette with all the solidness of a concrete wall. "And if I were you, I would forget about your silly little boy. From now on, he will be nothing to you- you belong to me."

"I belong to no one!" She cried out, determinedly standing her ground. _I refuse to be intimidated by a bunch of blockheads,_ she thought. _I've faced people bigger and better than you and I've come out on top every time. You lot are nothing._ "People don't own other people, that's barbaric! That 'silly little boy' is the only man who has treated me with respect, unlike you who's treated me like I'm some creature that needs taming! You can go to hell!"

"Now, now Marinette," Gabriel said softly, raising his hands as he took another step forwards. "Is that really any way to talk to your new boss and future husband?"

"I am not going to work for you!" Marinette shouted, stamping her foot down harshly on the white stone. "You can send me whatever you want, you can write me disgusting letters, you can spam me with emails, you can ring my house and threaten everyone I know but I will _never_ be your partner and I will **_never_** marry you!"

There was a long moment of silence after her angry outburst and for a slight second of triumph, Marinette saw Gabriel's eyes widen and thought that she might have finally gotten through to him. However, Gabriel just gave a low chuckle, shaking his head slightly as he laughed and folded his hands behind his back. "Oh Marinette, my sweet _fiery_ little Marinette," he said. "You really don't understand, do you? I gave you enough chances, I did all I could to persuade you to come willingly but I see that hasn't worked. I see it now; those tactics would never have worked. You don't need to be cajoled, you need to be _broken_." He watched as the horror of his statement dawned on Marinette's face and he gave an evil grin. "And that's exactly what I'm going to do."

One hand suddenly whipped up from behind his back and he snapped his fingers, the sound like thunder in the quiet. At the sound, the two guards lurched forwards, their bulky bodies moving with a speed Marinette wouldn't have believed possible if she hadn't witnessed it. She turned to run but her reaction was too late; before she could even reach the first step, her arms had been grabbed and she was yanked backwards so forcefully, both her heels cracked on the hard stone and were snapped off her shoes. She gasped at the sight of them, the thin bits of red lying on the white like two thin strips of blood before she was whipped around to face Gabriel again. He took a few slow steps to approach her, his eyes raking over every inch of her as she desperately tried to get herself free.

"Let go of me you bastards!" She shouted at them as she kicked her legs out and squirmed as much as she could but each guard held one of her arms and despite her strength, she couldn't fight against both of them. She fell limp and she could only watch terrified as Gabriel got closer, her body trying to recoil from him but unable to move due to the guard's tight grip.

"See? It's much better when you don't try to fight me," Gabriel purred at her lack of resistance. "We both already know I'm going to take what I want. Now, I don't believe I've seen you in your pretty little outfit yet. We'll have to change that, won't we?"

His hands reached out for her, his fingers twitching in anticipation, and Marinette screamed as she started to wildly kick out again, her limbs flailing even more uncontrollably in her fear. "Don't you dare touch me!" She cried out, her voice wobbling dangerously in her panic as she tried to struggle but the two guards held her too firmly and managed to pin her legs between their own, rendering her almost completely immobile. She could only watch as Gabriel's hands glided over the front of her father's coat, his fingers ghosting over the material like he was admiring the exquisite wrapping of an expensive present.

"I really should thank you for wearing this." He said, almost as an afterthought as he slowly undid each button from the top down. "I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to see this beauty before I did. I've waited for so long to see you in one of my masterpieces."

Halfway down the line of buttons, he suddenly got impatient and, with a surprising strength, he ripped the rest of the buttons off in one clean tear, letting them fall to the ground like raindrops. His eyes gleamed and he gave a wide grin when he saw the red silk and lace, and Marinette wanted to shrivel up and die in that moment. She had never been more disgusted in her life; she had known Gabriel's perversions, she had seen it in every word of his letters, but now she was seeing it in his face, and it suddenly felt so much worse, knowing what expression he must have had as he wrote them. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away, unable to look at his face any longer but she opened them again when she heard him chuckle.

"Are we feeling shy now, Marinette? You really shouldn't- I don't think I've ever seen anything more beautiful in my life. You know, my son has always been my top model but maybe that could change. I'd love to see you on a billboard in one of my creations, broadcasting to the world that you're mine and only mine… how does that sound?"

"No…" She could only whisper in shock, turning her head back slightly to peer at him. Would he really display her shame in such a way? She glimpsed the look in his eyes and realised that he was all too capable. "You can't… please…"

"Oh Marinette," he said, shaking his head again like he was talking to a small child. "You'll realise soon enough that I can. Maybe that thought will make you a little more obedient." He watched as her head drooped like a failing plant, her hair falling in front of her face so he couldn't see her stricken expression, and he gave a small nod. "That's better. Men, take her into the house."

"What?!" Marinette's head shot back up as Gabriel turned away and the two guards started to drag her across the courtyard towards the large imposing doors of the mansion. "No! You can't take me in there and keep me prisoner! Let me go!"

She felt a stab of fear in her heart as the guards took no notice of her screams and continued to pull her across the stone. How was she supposed to go to the press if she was trapped? The wire in her coat had caught every part of their conversation, she was certain of that because Gabriel had gotten so close, but that was no use if she couldn't take it to Alya. She wanted to transform into Ladybug, she knew she needed to yell for Tikki to have a chance to escape but her mind was so clouded by her fear and desperation, her mouth wouldn't form words; she could only scream like a wild animal being taken to the slaughterhouse. Her body trembled as the doors grew closer and she felt like she was being dragged to her execution. _This is the end,_ she suddenly thought with a sob. _I'm going to go into that house and I'm never going to come out!_

She was just about to start screaming again, on the off chance that somebody was passing and would hear the ruckus, when there was suddenly a loud bang. The sound was so loud, it rocked the ground beneath their feet, and the guards paused and looked around frantically as the house before them shook like it was made of meringue. Marinette watched as Gabriel spun around, his icy eyes wary as they dashed around looking for the source of the noise. They darted around for a few seconds before they finally landed on her and went needle thin.

"Did you have something to do with this?" He accused her, his voice dripping with poison, and before she could answer, he had once again gestured to his guards. "Search her! See if she has anything on her!"

"That wasn't me!" Marinette cried out, finally finding her voice as both guards started patting her down with their giant meaty hands, hitting her hard enough to leave bruises. "I haven't got anything on me!" She wriggled and squirmed against the two of them but they held her still as they continued to search her. One of them tugged at her coat and, suddenly awash with fear that they would find the wire or even worse Tikki, she wrenched her leg out of his grip and planted her broken shoe firmly in his face.

"Argh!" He cried out in pain, staggering backwards as he clutched his face. "You little bitch!"

Marinette gave a smirk, gleaning some satisfaction from hitting back but her blood ran cold when she heard Gabriel bark "There's something in the coat she's trying to protect! Get it off her!"

"No!" She yelled, fighting with all her might to try and free herself from the grip of the remaining guard but he managed to hold her there long enough for Gabriel to reach her. Gabriel strode angrily over and forcibly pulled it off her, tearing the sleeves in the process and straining the rest of the sturdy fabric. Marinette sighed in relief when she saw the pocket that Tikki was hiding in had been unharmed but the feeling quickly disappeared when Gabriel tore further at the hem of the coat and the small black recorder was exposed to the failing sunlight.

"What is this!?" Gabriel spat furiously as he yanked the whole wire free and shook it in her face. "You were recording this!?" He gave a loud sharp laugh, his eyes glinting like a maniac. "Did you really think this would save you? You're far stupider than I thought." His hand suddenly shot forwards and grabbed her own, launching her towards him so their foreheads slammed together and all she could see in her vision was his icy cold eyes. "Did you really think when you stepped through the gates of this house that I would let you leave? This is your problem Marinette- your heart is too good. I'll have to straighten that out, my last wife had the exact same problem… she was far too soft as well…"

"Get your filthy hands off of her!" A rolling deep voice suddenly echoed through the courtyard like thunder, making the guards freeze and Gabriel look away. Marinette saw his eyes fix on the roof of the house behind her and she slowly turned her head to look up. The evening sky above the house was beginning to swirl with dark clouds, the orange sunset being blotted out by a jet-black storm cloud that was spreading across the sky like spilled ink. The gentle breeze that had guided her through the park had been whipped up into a strong wind that beat at her face and exposed body but she barely felt it as she stared up at what was on the roof.

The sight that transfixed her and made her gasp was a lone figure standing on the very edge of the roof like he was daring gravity to topple him. He was dressed all in white, a speck of light against the dark background and his golden hair was flying out around his head like a halo but he looked anything but angelic; even from her position on the ground, Marinette could see his long claws that looked like swords and the scowl that was twisting his features into a mask of pure rage behind his white mask. He bared his teeth in a long hostile hiss that made Gabriel physically jump back and sent shivers down her spine. She didn't need to be told that this was the villain she had been hunting for all those long months and, even if Tikki hadn't told her, she would have realised his powers had increased. On the ground, she could feel the energy that was pulsing through the air, under his control, and the effect was magnetic, drawing her eyes to the roof and holding them there, even when Gabriel tightened his grip on her arm yanking her back to his side.

"Who are you?!" He demanded, like he had any power over the situation. Marinette almost wanted to laugh; his guards were both standing stock still behind them and it was so obvious who really held all the cards here. "Answer me!"

"I don't answer to you!" The voice came rolling down once again like a landslide. "I don't answer to anyone. I'm here because I gave you a command; I told you to leave her alone and you have clearly disobeyed."

Marinette froze, another gasp stuck in her throat. _Chat Blanc had been referring to me? That time at the gate… he had been aware of the abuse Gabriel had been inflicting on me. How did he know?_ She thought. _Why did he decide to protect me of all people?_ She didn't have time to dwell on this however, as Gabriel gave a growl and suddenly pulled her closer, making her almost lean on him.

"She is mine!" He called up furiously, his face straining and red, spittle flying from his mouth. "I have made my claim and she is mine now! You need to keep your nose out of this or you'll wish you never crossed me!"

There was a low boom that once again shook the house and Marinette cowered, her feet unsteady on her broken shoes. When she looked back up at the rooftop, she was shocked to see that the noise was Chat Blanc laughing; his face now had a wide smirk and he was bent over howling as he clutched his stomach with mirth. She could feel Gabriel stiffen beside her and that gave her a pang of triumph; anything that made Gabriel uncomfortable was a win in her eyes. It was only when the figure stopped laughing and straightened up, his face serious once more, did she suddenly see the danger in his eyes.

"You really think your threats can _touch_ me?" He bellowed, the wind picking up speed and pelting them as he spoke. "Do you think I will listen to you, after everything you've done?! You're nothing to me but a murderer. You're nothing but evil and I won't stand for you to kill another innocent woman!"

Gabriel's face went chalky white and a flash of what could have been remorse came over his face, fleeting as the wind. "You know nothing of what happened!"

"I know everything!" Chat Blanc thundered back, the storm above him howling and crackling as lightning spurted from the middle of the clouds. "I know everything about you Gabriel Agreste, I know all the sins that blacken your heart. Let the girl leave, hand her over to me, and _maybe_ I'll go a little easier on you."

Hand her over? Marinette recoiled at the words. She wanted to free herself of Gabriel's clutches but not by throwing herself into the captivity of another man, especially one who she had been hunting for so long and who she knew was being controlled by an evil spirit. _Chat Noir is somewhere under there but he doesn't know me as Marinette,_ she thought. _What would he do if he found out I was Ladybug? It surely wouldn't be good, Chat was beginning to hate me after what I said…_

She was stopped from thinking this over when Gabriel sharply dragged her backwards again, forcing her behind him. A burst of lightning lit up his face and in the brightness, he looked like a monster. His neat appearance had been torn apart by the wind, his gelled hair flying about and his clothes messy. His face, usually smooth and controlled, was muddied with rage and hate. His deep scowl made Marinette feel sick. It looked like the beast she had always known was inside him had finally come to the surface and the sight was terrifying.

"Never!" He shouted. "She belongs to me, go find yourself another damsel in distress!"

There was a long moment of silence as Gabriel's words faded into the wind and Chat Blanc didn't move. The small group of people on the ground froze as they watched him, holding their breath as they waited for his next move but all he did was stand there, watching them with only his tail flicking to indicate he was still capable of movement. Even the storm appeared to die down, like it too was anticipating what he would do, but he stood as still as a statue, his eyes fixed on them like he really could see all their sins. The tension in the air was so thick, Marinette felt like she was standing in quicksand and she knew she couldn't have ran away, even if she tried. Then, Chat Blanc let out a long breath and shook his head with a light chuckle.

"You really are a fool."

After he spoke those words, everything seemed to happen at the speed of light, like the world had suddenly been sped up. Chat Blanc sprang from the roof and spiralled towards the ground, the storm above him suddenly exploding with lightning that lit up the whole sky and blinded all four people on the ground. Marinette closed her eyes and cried out against the light; all she could now feel was Gabriel's nails digging into her wrist and all she could hear was the crashing of the thunder. Then, there was a loud blood-curdling cry and she whipped around frantically, trying to sense where it had come from. She opened her eyes just in time to see a streak of white fly away from the body of one of the guards, that was now spouting blood from the neck like a fountain, and towards the other with a loud animalistic cry that rooted her to the spot. The large man tried to run back, his hands scrambling at his belt for his gun but before he had even touched it, Chat Blanc was on him. He thrust his claws forwards and all ten of them sank into his chest, impaling his thick torso like it was no harder than a marshmallow. The man gave a shallow gasp, his eyes wide as he looked down at his own dripping blood, before Chat Blanc pulled his claws out with a growl, and the guard fell to the ground like a felled tree. Two large puddles of blood were now soaking the white stone and Marinette's knees felt like they would buckle from the horror. She had believed what Tikki said about Epidd being evil but she had never even imagined he could drive her beloved Chat Noir to murder people this brutally. _Oh my kitty,_ the only clear thought in her head. _What has he done to you?_

"Shit!" Gabriel spat viciously behind her and she was once again yanked off her feet as he started to drag her in the direction of the towering mansion doors. "He's fucking crazy… Marinette, get up, you stupid girl! He's going to kill us!"

 _Not me,_ she thought as he pulled her to her feet and pushed her roughly. _He won't kill me, he only wants to kill you…_ She would have said it out loud but she felt like she barely had the energy to even move her lips. Time around her felt like it was going very slowly and her limbs were sluggish like she was trying to walk through molasses. The weight of the situation she was in, plus her general exhaustion from struggling and fighting for so long, was all beginning to catch up on her and the mansion doors suddenly felt like they were miles away.

"Marinette, move!" Gabriel shouted again, right in her ear, "Fucking move already before I-shit!"

Before she could even register what he had said, he was gone. Her eyes watched as a white clawed hand shot out from behind her and pushed him away. The hand looked like it had barely tapped him but Gabriel's body went shooting across the white stone, looking like a flying ragdoll tossed away by a cross child before he crumpled against the door. Marinette saw his head rear up and stare over at her, his mouth and eyes open wide with fear as he tried to scramble away and for a second, she felt powerful. Then, as quickly as it had come, the feeling was gone, and her legs weak and bruised from kicking at the guards, buckled. She waited for her body to hit the hard stone and winced as she braced herself but instead of the pain she was expecting, she felt her body being cradled by a pair of strong arms. They held her close to a warm body that smelt a little of sweat and leather as they rubbed her back gently like she was something precious.

"There, there, I've got you now." A male voice said and she was only awake long enough to realise that the voice sounded a little like Chat Noir's. Then they were rushing through the air and her eyes closed and she all too easily succumbed to blackness.

OOO

When Marinette woke up, the first thing she realised was that she was tied up. As she tried to move, she felt rough ropes biting at the skin of her wrists and the pain almost sent her into a panic attack. _Gabriel has me tied up,_ was her first thought. _I'm somewhere in the basement of the mansion all tied up and he's never going to let me go now…_ She attempted to curl up into herself, wanting to just roll into a ball and cry at her predicament but she stopped when she realised that light was prickling at the lids of her eyes.

Surely there wouldn't be light in a basement, would there? She wondered before she swallowed down her rising panic and opened her eyes. To her complete shock, her surroundings were the complete opposite of the dark and dingy basement prison she expected to find. Instead, she was standing in a light and airy room that was probably the size of their whole bakery. The walls were painted white, there was some sparse clean furniture dotted around the centre of the room and she noted that almost every kind of technology she could think of was there; one wall boasted a giant TV screen worthy of a cinema, a desk appeared to be struggling under the weight of a huge computer with four screens and a back wall held shelves upon shelves of DVDs and video games in a collection that would have made any tech nerd drool. Everywhere she looked Marinette spotted something new and fun to look at- a climbing wall, a basketball hoop, table football… she almost wanted to laugh. Had somebody tried to make a teenage boy's paradise? They almost looked like they had succeeded.

However, she was still tied up. She looked down to see her body was closely encased in rope where somebody had wound it around her body again and again and again, like they had tried to make her a cocoon, and there were only small strips in the mass of brown where she could see the red and white of her outfit and skin. She twisted her head round as much as she could and saw in the reflection of a nearby window that she was tied up to what looked like a fireman's pole. _Who the hell has one of_ _ **these**_ _in their rooms?_ She thought bewildered for a moment before she shook the thought out of her head and focused on trying to free herself. The ropes were bound so tightly around her and the pole that there was close to no wriggle room and even though her hands were sticking out of the rope, she could barely move them. She tried to wriggle around again, moving her body like she was a snake, but it did nothing but rub her skin into a raw red that throbbed under her ties.

"Fuck!" She spat out as she fell still, her panic beginning to rise again as she scanned the room a second time, trying to spot anything that might indicate where she was and who held her captive. _It can't be Gabriel,_ she thought, _he would have shown himself already and he would probably be trying to make me do something disgusting_. She looked down, trying to see if any of the knots in the rope looked loose, and that was when she spotted that her feet were bare. She blinked down at them a few times, like if she did the broken red heels would magically reappear, but they didn't and that really confused her. _Gabriel would never have even thought of taking my shoes off for me, even if they were broken and hurting me,_ she thought. Just who was holding her like this?

"I see you're finally awake." A rumbling voice suddenly spoke, making her head jerk up and slam the back of the pole. She let out a cry of pain, tears coming to her eyes at the shock of it and she bent her head again in an effort to hide them but then suddenly, there was a soft hand on the back of her head, caressing her hair and cooing like they were trying to soothe her. Shaking, she slowly drew her head back up, her eyes still closed as she couldn't stop her tears from leaking but she froze in place when she felt something cool pass over her cheek and wipe away the trails of water.

"Shh, please don't cry Marinette," the voice said again much more softly. "I can't stand to see you upset."

"Who are you?" Marinette choked out, her voice barely above a whisper. She could sense her captor's presence hovering right in front of her, their body inches away from her own, but she felt too terrified to open her eyes. "What do you want from me?"

The voice gave a low chuckle, "If you open your eyes Marinette, you'll find out."

His tone was still gentle but there was a steely firmness behind it that made the taunt sound more like a command. Marinette found herself slowly opening her eyes, the room blurred through her tears for a long moment before it and her captor finally became clear. At the sight of him, she tried to gasp but the sound caught in her throat and she ended up only making a strangled sound as she looked at him.

"Chat Blanc?" She whispered once again under the gaze of his bright yellow eyes and his face broke into a wide sleazy smile.

"Oh, you recognise me Marinette? I'm honoured." He purred, his other hand coming up to meet her cheek. She could feel both her cheeks being gently brushed with something metallic but when she turned her eyes to see them, she almost screamed. His sharp claws, the ones she had seen impale the guard outside like his thick body had been nothing but air, were now running along her skin. The blood had been cleaned off and they gleamed up at her like silver but that was in no way reassuring as she recoiled from them. These were weapons designed to kill and she knew if Chat Blanc so wished, he could skewer her without a second thought.

"What's the matter? Don't you like my claws?" Chat Blanc asked as he drew them away, still peering closely at her tear-stained face. "Unfortunately, I can't retract them- they're too big you see. And you really should be thanking them. If I didn't have them, you'd still be with that _monster_. You're safe here with me."

Marinette looked up at him, taking a few breaths to calm herself as she tried to think clearly. "That's the second time you've saved me," she said. "You saved me from Gabriel's thugs before, that night I met him at the Blue Moon... I was trapped in that alleyway and you rescued me."

"I'm surprised you remember that," Chat Blanc replied, sounding almost pleased with himself. "You had just been tasered, I thought all your memory would have gone."

"Shadow told me," Marinette answered him, her forehead creasing as more and more started to come back to her. "He was the one you brought me to, he took care of me afterwards…" She paused before she stared at him, forcing herself to look straight into the thin cat-like irises of his eyes. "How did you know to take me to him? Do you know him?"

"You could say that." Chat Blanc just grinned at her and she got the unpleasant feeling that she was being mocked. "The more important question is, how do you know him?"

For some reason, the question about Shadow made her blood boil and Marinette close to snarled at him. How dare he question her like this? "Why do you care?" Marinette spat back, her voice flooded with anger. "Why do you even give a damn?"

Two hands shot up from his sides and pinned her head back against the pole, his claws pressing into her cheeks and causing the spark of anger to disappear. Marinette once again felt paralysed with fear and it was all she could do to stop herself from shaking and injuring herself on the sharp metal. _Where's Tikki?_ She thought, remembering suddenly that she had brought the small bug god with her. _I need to transform, where is she?_ She tried to scan the room again but there was no sign of her father's bulky coat and Chat Blanc's quiet angry expression was filling her vision. She started crying out for her in her mind hoping that somehow it would reach her but she didn't have much hope.

"Spots on!" She desperately thought, mouthing the words quickly in the hope that they would still count but nothing happened. The realisation that she didn't know where Tikki was hit her hard like a punch in her gut and she would have had a panic attack if Chat Blanc hadn't started speaking.

"I give a damn because I want to know _why_ you left him," he said, his face edging closer and closer so Marinette couldn't avoid the poisonous glow of his topaz eyes. "I want to know why you tried to run from him and then went to submit yourself to the man who has abused you both. Have you forgotten all the things he did to you? To the both of you? You confided so much in him, he spent all those long nights comforting you, loving you and you just threw him away… threw me away…"

"I never wanted to!" Marinette burst out. "The last thing I wanted was to come here and leave him behind! Gabriel told me that I had to come, if I didn't he would hurt Shadow…" Something suddenly came into her head and she froze up again, still staring at Chat Blanc. "You said I threw you away…" Her eyes widened as she looked back at him, the realisation dawning on her like a tidal wave slamming on a beach, and his sick smile only confirmed it. "No, no that can't be right! You can't be him!"

"Why ever not?" Chat Blanc just grinned menacingly. "Does it not make perfect sense? You knew how much I hated Gabriel, you have no idea what he put me through for **_years_** … I so enjoyed wrecking his empire piece by piece but oh, my hatred only grew when I found out what he did to you. Didn't you notice the attacks got worse after that night when I saved you? Didn't you see me telling him to 'leave you alone?' You're smart Marinette, I thought you would have seen some links, like the fact we both only came out at night and the attacks lessened the more I stayed at yours… Go on, tell me why it can't be true. Tell me why the boy you loved couldn't be this monster."

"Because that means you're also Chat Noir!" Marinette cried out.

At her words, Chat Blanc froze, his claws still held up close to her skin. Now it was his turn to look afraid as a flicker of fear passed over his face and Marinette could have sworn his claws trembled. However, it disappeared as quickly as it had arrived and within seconds, his expression had transformed into a guarded scowl as he pressed his claws against her skin, leaning into her so she could feel their pressure.

"How do you know that?" He growled at her, his face so close, she could see every point of his sharp canines when he bared them.

"It… it was a guess!" Marinette choked out frightened as she tried to get as far away from him as she could. "You're both cats, you have very similar powers, anyone could make the link!"

"But you _know_ ," Chat Blanc emphasised, digging his claws into one cheek. Marinette whimpered as she felt them cut into her skin and out of the corner of her eye, she could see a little red dribble flow down his claw. She could also feel the warm blood, her own warm blood, pooling on her neck and it made the tension around her feel much thicker. _I really could die here,_ she thought for the first time. _I really am going to die._

"You were certain," Chat Blanc continued, his voice getting dangerously lower and quieter. "You sounded so sure, you had to have been told. And the way you blurted it out, you knew I didn't want anyone to make the connection. So, I'll ask you again. How did you know?"

He drew back his left hand, the one with the claw stained with Marinette's blood and he kept her eyes locked on his as he slowly placed it against her throat. "Please Marinette… I really don't want to hurt you, not after all we've been through. But I will… unless you tell me."

"Shadow… please…" Marinette just managed to breathe out and she saw him stiffen. "I have no idea what's going on right now but I do know something has gone very wrong. I know what I did hurt you but I promise you, I only did it because Gabriel was threatening your life. Do you really think I'm capable of being so callous? After all those nights you visited the bakery, all that time we spent together, everything I confided in you… do you really think I was making that all up?"

She watched his face, waiting for any kind of reaction. She could see his eyes were beginning to soften, losing the hard edge that had terrified her so much. That gave her a flutter of hope and so she continued, her eyes pleading with his as she sought to find his humanity.

"They came to the bakery that morning, when you were still up in my bedroom. I was told to come here, wearing this... _outfit,_ and present myself to Gabriel or else something bad would happen to you. It broke my heart to see you arrive at the bakery and read that letter… and the pain only got worse when I saw you had brought me flowers." Chat Blanc's breath hitched at the last word and the fluttering in Marinette's stomach grew a little stronger. He looked almost like he was in a trance, hanging off her every word and she pushed on, watching as his claws lowered from her face to the rope constricting her. "I _never_ wanted to hurt you Shadow, I only wish I could have helped you more. If I had known what this was doing to you, I could have helped somehow… Please, we need to get out of here, the both of us need to get as far away from this place as possible. If you just untie me, we can leave, we can get out of here…"

"Marinette!"

The atmosphere was suddenly shattered as a voice cut through the air, breaking Chat Blanc's trance and making him leap back with his claws up, ready to fight. Marinette gasped as she looked around frantically; she knew that voice and she watched as the door on the other side of the room flew open and a red blur whizzed across the room towards her.

"Tikki!" She cried out, relieved as the kwami reached her and clung to her cheek in a hug, her eyes brimming with tears. "Thank god you're here, what happened?"

"I got left in the coat when it was abandoned outside in the storm," Tikki explained, her voice cracking with emotion as she spoke. "I got out and saw the two bodies out there and I could sense you were in the house, I could hear you calling me… I was so scared Gabriel had you-"

"What is that?" Chat Blanc suddenly interrupted, his ears cocked like he was listening to another voice. "A kwami? That's Ladybug's kwami? Marinette, how do you-"

He didn't get a chance to finish as Tikki suddenly took action. His words failed him as the room was filled with a burst of bright pink light that blinded him, making his eyelids glow with a rose-coloured light even when he closed them. When the light finally died, he slowly opened his eyes, holding his claws out to shield him from any more unexpected lights but they dropped down to his sides when his eyes caught sight of who was now tied up to the pole.

"Ladybug?"

Blue eyes went wide behind a spotted red and black mask, one he knew all too well, and he could only stare at her as she started to speak but none of her words registered in his mind. His brain felt like it had just been dropped in cold water and his heart felt like it had been squashed under the heels of the broken shoes he had so carefully pulled from Marinette's feet. This couldn't be true. This couldn't be right. How could the girl who had taken him in and loved him through all his darkness be the same girl who had spurned him because of it? He had sought revenge on Ladybug, he had wanted her to suffer but she was the same girl he had wanted to save… how could this be?

"Shadow, Chat Noir, listen to me," he finally heard her say, though her voice was muted like she was speaking on the other side of a wall. "I know this is a big shock but you have to listen to me. I couldn't tell you I was Ladybug, I couldn't tell anybody, it was far too dangerous and I couldn't let Gabriel or Hawkmoth know, they would have just used it as another thing to blackmail me with… Chat I know you're angry with me and you have every right to be but I need you to fight your anger, you have to fight him-"

"Why the hell should I listen to you!?" Chat Blanc spat out the words with such venom that Marinette fell silent, her hands shaking when she saw in his eyes just how angry he was. He stalked back over to her, standing once again so close she could see every detail of his face and every inch of it was marred with pure rage. "Why should I care what you think when all you've done is _lie_ and _betray_ _ **me**_?!"

"I never wanted to lie!" Ladybug pleaded with him. "I never wanted any of this to happen! I know what I did to you as Chat Noir was wrong and I'm sorry! I never meant to reject you like that after you sacrificed yourself for me, I was just scared. I was terrified you would kill yourself for me and I could never have lived with myself! And that day with Dark Desires… something broke inside you then Chat, I should have tried harder to fix it but I was dealing with my own problems and they swallowed us both up… You don't know how much I regret doing what I did Chat, the accusations, the coldness… I should have done more to help you, I understand that now but _please_ , I'm not just Ladybug. I'm still Marinette behind this mask and you _know me_ , I promise you do. I care for you, both as Chat Noir and as Shadow… it's like I loved you twice over. I know you're angry but you need to let me help you, you need to, please-"

"Why the hell should I listen to you!?" Chat Blanc spat out the words with such venom that Marinette fell silent, her hands shaking when she saw in his eyes just how angry he was. He stalked back over to her, standing once again so close she could see every detail of his face and every inch of it was marred with pure rage. "Why should I care what you think when all you've done is lie and betray me?! You never cared about me as Ladybug, you threw me aside! You accused me and then you did the same thing as Marinette! All that time, I thought you cared and I thought you loved me… and then you went running to Gabriel like the little whore you are. It's almost funny," he said as he gave a bitter laugh. "You made me fall in love with you twice- and then you betrayed me twice. You're nothing but a liar and a traitor."

With those last words spat in her face, he turned on his heel and stalked towards the door snarling. "I'm going to go and find my good-for-nothing father and make him pay for everything he ever did to me. And then when I come back, I'm going to do the exact same thing to _you_."


End file.
